Gambling Debts
by lady emebalia
Summary: Stiles owns a casino, Peter has a gambling problem and Derek has to pay his uncle's debts. You know the setup, you know where this leads. Or maybe not …
1. Chapter 1

**Warnings:** brief threat of non-con, sexual content, self-harm

* * *

 **Gambling Debts**

Derek dragged his feet up the stairs to the fifth floor. The elevator had stopped working long before they had moved in three years ago so he and everybody else in this stack of shoe box apartments had to climb the stairs. Which shouldn't be a problem for him, he was a young werewolf after all, normally he would sprint the stairs up and down without breaking a sweat but he just had finished an eight hour shift flipping burgers and he had only three hours to take a shower, in the futile attempt to scrub off the scent of grease, and a short nap before he had to head over to the Three Barrels for his second job as a bouncer. Derek hated both jobs and he would quit in a heart-beat if his main job would earn him enough money to get by. Which it didn't. Or it would if it wasn't for Peter. Derek sighed.

When Derek reached the door, he strained his ears for any noises coming from inside the apartment but with all the background noises it was impossible to hear if Peter was home or not. His neighbors to the right were arguing again, a floor beneath him a baby was crying and somebody had their TV on loud.

Derek entered the tiny apartment he shared with Peter but the paper-thin walls didn't do anything to keep the noises out. His alpha wasn't here but Derek hadn't expected him to be home anyway. Nowadays Peter came only home to sleep or to demand more money.

Peter made some money himself with odd jobs Derek didn't want to know about but he spent it faster than he could earn it. Feeding it to slot machines or burning it on the roulette tables in the few casinos where he hadn't reached his credit limit or had been banned from because he had tried to play at the human poker tables. Hearing heart-beats and smelling anxiety counted as cheating if the other players didn't have the same advantage and Peter knew that.

Lately Peter had been limited to sleazy backroom poker tables and some smaller casinos. As far as Derek knew the Red Riding Hood was his current favorite but it was only a matter of time until he would have reached his credit limit there as well. But at the moment Peter carried every cent he could get to the Red. Derek had a hard time hiding enough money to pay the rent and get food on the table.

Feeding two grown werewolves wasn't easy but if he got caught one more time stealing a burger he would get fired, his boss had been every clear about that, so he kept that as a last option.

The bathroom was too small to do more than stand in so Derek stripped in the living room and then squished himself in the shower stall. Up on the fifth floor the water pressure was next to none existent and lukewarm was the best he could hope for. Besides, the water didn't look right and it smelled metallic. Derek only hoped that his healing abilities would keep him from dying of lead poisoning or catching something nasty from this germ cocktail.

Derek finished his shower, he still smelled the grease on his skin but that was something permanent by now, and then searched for more or less fresh clothes. He needed to do the laundry but he was too exhausted for that.

He set his alarm and dropped on the couch. The apartment had only one bedroom and that was Peter's. Even if the alpha was rarely home to use it.

Drifting off to sleep Derek thought of his childhood home, where he had a bed for himself. Where he had a room for himself and where he hadn't been tired and hungry all the time. Even the first years after the fire had been better than how he lived now. They had been traumatized kids back then, Derek only fourteen and Laura seventeen and suddenly the alpha of their little pack of three. Peter had been the one who had brought them through those first years.

Then the arguing had started. Peter and Laura had always argued and always over money. As the alpha Laura had control over their family money and what they had gotten out of the insurance and she kept a tight lid on it. Much to Peter's disappointment.

When Derek had been sixteen Laura got murdered. Hunters, Peter had said with a flash of red eyes. Derek believed him. He had to. But in moments like this, exhausted and on the verge of sleep he knew better.

Derek woke up when somebody entered the apartment. He blinked his eyes open to confirm that it was just Peter and he only hoped that his uncle would let him sleep until his alarm went off, every minute of sleep counted, and he was about to drift back to sleep when he noticed that there were two men following Peter into the room.

"Peter?" Derek croaked out and sat up. Rubbing his face he tried to get awake enough to grasp the situation. They never got visitors. But there were two men standing behind Peter, eyeing Derek over Peter's shoulders.

"Good, you're here." Peter said too cheerfully.

"What's going on?" Derek asked and stood up. At least he had bothered to get dressed before he fell asleep.

The men hovered near the door while Peter stepped farther into the room. They looked completely out of place in their nice suits but the way the carried themselves Derek knew they knew how to fight. Derek dubbed them Vincent and Jules but so far there had been no guns and the black guy hadn't recited any bible verses so this wasn't too bad.

"Peter, what's going on?" Derek focused on his alpha. "Are you in trouble?" Because the only reason he could think of for these guys standing in his living room was that Peter had pissed off the wrong people. Again.

If they were here looking for money, good luck. Derek would get paid after his shift at the Barrels tonight but he needed that money for food. Fran's Burgers payed on Fridays and the big check from Casino Solutions would come in at the end of the month. And by big he meant big enough to pay the rent and the power bill, not big as in "It covers my uncle's gambling debts".

As it stood, Derek had about two dollars in his pocket, one dollar and seventy-two cents to be exact, and he intended to spent that on a coffee on his way to work.

"Kind of." Peter answered the trouble question with a delay and a glance over his shoulder at the two strangers. "You see, I had this awesome lucky streak …"

Derek pinched his bridge of his nose with his fingers.

"How much?"

"A little over one-hundred thousand." Peter said. His shoulders dropped and he didn't look Derek in the eye.

"And them?" He pointed at Vincent and Jules who so far had failed to introduce themselves or explain what the fuck they were doing here. "If you're here to collect." He addressed them. "Too bad, we don't even have ten dollars."

That seemed to make them uncomfortable, they shifted on their feet and shared a glance but didn't say a word. Derek turned his attention back to Peter.

"They are here to collect." The way he emphasized the last word made Derek uneasy.

"To collect what?" Derek shot back. He should be getting ready for work and not wasting his time with his uncle's problems. But he also was his alpha which made every problem Peter had Derek's as well. "If you don't have a secret stash somewhere hidden there is nothing to collect."

"Well, Mr. Stilinski, the owner of the Red Riding Hood, offered me …" Peter made a vague gesture while he searched for the right word. "… an alternative way of payment."

Derek narrowed his eyes on him. His uncle was good at keeping his heart-beat under control but right now he had slipped up. Derek doubted whatever kind of payment they were talking about here had been this Mr. Stilinski's idea.

"What kind of payment?" Derek dared to ask. He didn't like where this conversation was heading. And now Vincent and Jules looked more like they were blocking the door than just casually standing there.

The guy with the curly hair, Vincent, was holding something behind his back. Derek couldn't tell what it was but his money was on a weapon. If he had money to bet on this.

"You see." Peter said in a forced conversational tone. "Mr. Stilinski is a very busy man and he needs some stress relief from time to time."

Derek absolutely didn't like the direction this conversation was going. He crossed his arms over his chest and gave his uncle a stern look.

"What have you done?"

"We came to the agreement that my debt can be worked off." Peter cleared his throat. "By you."

"No."

Now Vincent and Jules made a point of showing the tasers in their hands. And they were definitely blocking the door now.

"Derek." Peter sighed as if Derek was the unreasonable one here.

"No." Derek repeated, not backing off under Peter's gaze. "Your debts, your problem. Now excuse me, I have to get ready for work." He tried to shoulder his way past his uncle but was stopped by a clawed hand on his shoulder.

"Don't forget who's the alpha here." Peter said with a flesh of red in his eyes. "You are going to leave with these gentlemen and you will do whatever Mr. Stilinski wants you to do until you've worked off this debt."

Derek felt his own claws growing and his mouth was full with teeth when he growled: "I'm not your little bitch you can rant out."

"You're my beta." Peter said in a low voice, his eyes glowing red. "And if you want to stay my beta you are going to do what I say."

Derek clenched his fists, not really caring that he was slicing up his own palms with his claws, and stood his ground. Without breaking eye contact Peter stepped closer.

"Do you want to become an omega?" He didn't raise his voice but the challenge was there.

Derek lowered his gaze.

"No, alpha."

"Good boy." Peter patted his cheek and then turned to the two men who had watched the scene with tense alertness. "He's all yours."

Peter gave Derek a push to make him move in their direction.

"Shouldn't he at least pack a bag or something?" Jules asked. He had a soft voice that betrayed his hard expression. He and his partner both reeked of uneasiness and neither of them looked in Derek's direction.

"I doubt that he will have much use for clothes but by all means." Peter made a gesture as if all this was beneath him.

While Jules stayed at the door, taser still in hand, Vincent followed Derek around the apartment and even held the tattered bag open for Derek to stuff in his belongings.

Derek didn't know what he would need so he packed all his clothes, he was an optimist here, he knew that, and he really should have done the laundry earlier. Then he gathered his things from the bathroom and with that he was done with packing. It was pathetic.

There were a few personal things he would have liked to take with him but he didn't want to lose them and since they were of no monetary value they were safer with Peter.

"Is this all you want to take with you?" Vincent, more like a boy in a suit if Derek was honest, asked with a pitiful look at the meager contents of the bag.

Derek gave him a nod. He wasn't sure if he was able to speak right now.

When they returned to the living room Derek made a point of not looking at Peter and headed straight for the door instead.

Just when he was about to leave a heavy hand landed on his neck and Peter drew him close to whisper in his ear.

"Don't do anything stupid." He said, his claws digging into the soft skin of Derek's neck. Then Peter let go of him and gave him an almost friendly pat on the back. "Just lie back and think of England."


	2. Chapter 2

The way down the stairs felt longer and at the same time way shorter than usual. Derek wondered when, if, he would walk these stairs again. He doubted it would be any time soon. One-hundred thousand dollars weren't worked off in a few days no matter what he did.

He felt sick to the stomach at the thought of what he would have to do to work his uncle's debt off.

In his mind he pictured this Mr. Stilinski as an old man, bald and fat, and he shuddered, thinking of having sex with some rich, old stranger. Because that was what this was about, he wasn't dumb, he knew that he was just a cheap whore in this.

Vincent and Jules walked behind him, tasers still in hand as if they expected him to make a run for it. They weren't werewolves, they didn't know. If Derek ran, he would lose his pack and become an omega. He would rather be dead. Or let his uncle pimp him out to a stranger.

They reached the street and there was no guessing which car they would use. The sleek black car looked as out of place as Vincent and Jules in this part of Vegas.

"Get in." Jules took Derek's bag and held the back door open for him. He shut the door behind Derek but neither Vincent nor Jules got in the car. They opened the trunk to store his bag and Derek couldn't see them any longer but he could hear them just fine.

"What the fuck?" Vincent asked.

"Don't ask me."

"Is Stiles completely nuts now?" Vincent continued. "What is he thinking? Taking this guy for payment? Illegal is the least problem with this. Have you seen his face? He's terrified. And rightfully, so."

"And he's a werewolf and can probably hear you." Jules hissed but Vincent just continued with his rant.

"What the fuck are we doing here?" He asked. "If Stiles wants some he should go to that club he's so fond of."

"You don't know what he's going to do with him." Jules said but he didn't sound convinced.

"Stiles just bought him, that's so many levels of wrong."

"And he's waiting for us." Jules closed the trunk and started walking over to the driver's door. "C'mon, Isaac, let's go."

Vincent, or Isaac, muttered something under his breath but then he opened the door in the back and slid in next to Derek. He held the taser awkwardly in his hand.

"Sorry, man." He gave him an apologizing smile. "We have to be careful."

Derek got that. He was a werewolf and they were human. Even with the tasers chances were good that he could overpower them if he really wanted to. Which he didn't but he doubted that telling them so would put them to ease.

Jules, Derek still hadn't caught his real name, started the engine and then they were moving.

"Where are we going?" Derek dared to ask.

"The Red." Isaac answered. "Stiles, I mean, Mr. Stilinski is waiting for us there."

 _Stiles_ didn't sound like an old man. It sounded like a nickname and if his employees addressed him like that he probably wasn't that much older than them. Maybe Derek's age. Not that that made the idea of being that man's sex toy any more appealing.

"Look." Isaac shifted in his seat to a face Derek. "Our order is to pick you up and bring you to our boss. But you're a werewolf and if you happened to open the door and jump out, there wouldn't be much we could do about it, right? By the time Boyd has stopped the car you could be gone." He made a vague gesture.

"Isaac." Jules, Boyd, warned him but he did slow down the car. They were slow enough that Derek could jump out without breaking every bone in his body. If he wanted to.

"Thank you." Derek said, staring straight ahead with meant at the back of Boyd's head. "But if you show up without me your boss will get back to Peter to get his money and Peter will …" He couldn't finish the sentence. They were human, there was no way they could ever understand what it meant to disobey a direct order of your alpha and what the threat of throwing him out of the pack alone did to him. No, whatever this Mr. Stilinski had in store for him, it couldn't be worse than losing his pack.

Over the rear view mirror Derek met the driver's gaze and without a word the man brought the car back to normal driving speed.

"You're stupid, man." Isaac said and slumped deeper into his seat. "But I swear I'm going to have a word with Stiles about this."

"Not just you." Boyd muttered.

They fell silent again.

"This Mr. Stilinski." Derek shifted in his seat. "What is he like?"

"Easy going." Isaac answered promptly. "He's a good guy, we went to school together. I've no idea what possessed him to make this deal." His faced darkened and Boyd gave an affirmative nod. "But I swear, this is not like him."

It gave Derek a little hope that this wasn't going to be as bad as it sounded.

Boyd parked the car in the parking lot under the Red Riding Hood, right next to the elevator. Then they rode up to the penthouse.

Derek was really glad that the two men weren't werewolves because he was probably reeking of anxiety and fear which he tried to hide behind a stoic mask.

The doors opened to a luxury suite and Derek was suddenly very aware of his thrift store clothes and scuffed boots.

"He'll be here in a minute." Isaac said and gestured for Derek to have a seat in one of the armchairs in front of a giant fireplace. Derek gave the cream leather a skeptical look and remained standing. He didn't want to give a bad first impression by ruining an expensive chair.

Isaac just shrugged and flopped down on a couch. Boyd gave him a look and remained at Derek's side. More to give the impression that he was actually guarding their … whatever Derek was to them, than anything else, he guessed.

An awkward minute later the elevator pinged again and Isaac was on his feet before the doors slid open. Which earned him an amused gaze from Boyd but when the man who must be Stiles Stilinski stepped out of the car, they both sobered up.

"What the fuck, Stiles?" Isaac greeted him. The man had to be Isaac's age but he looked even younger. He didn't look old enough to enter his own casino if Derek was honest. He was dressed in a black suit and a blood red dress shirt which he hadn't buttoned up all the way.

He didn't seem to be fazed by his employees rude greeting, though.

"Isaac, Boyd." He gave them a broad smile. "Thanks for bringing our guest here."

Derek suppressed a snort at that. The last term he would use to describe his role in this was _guest_.

At least Isaac seemed to share his opinion and opened his mouth to argue but his boss was quicker.

"If you'd leave us alone now, I have something to discuss with Mr. Hale here." He had his hands clasped behind his back and was rocking on the balls of his feet, waiting for his men to follow his order.

For a moment it looked like Isaac still wanted to argue but Boyd just grabbed him by his sleeve and dragged him towards the elevator.

However, when he passed his boss, Boyd hissed at him: "I swear if you …"

"Just a little chat." Stiles cut him off and the look he gave him said clearly that this was the end of this. Defeated Boyd and Isaac left.

Once they were alone, Mr. Stilinski made an inviting gesture towards the chairs again.

"Please." He said when Derek hesitated. Derek sat down on the edge of his chair but it seemed to satisfy the other man.

"So, you're here to do whatever I want until your uncle's debt is paid." Mr. Stilinski rubbed his hands and got more comfortable in his chair. Derek couldn't help but wonder if he was about to start working off the debt right now. He didn't look at the man's crotch.

"Does ten grand a minute sound fair?" Mr. Stilinski asked.

"What?"

"You do what I want for ten minutes and then you can go." He looked very pleased with himself. Then his smile grew even wider. "Let's make it eleven minutes and you walk out of here with ten grand. You can start a new life if you want. I highly recommend that you don't go back to your uncle. This might have given him ideas."

His heart-beat was steady so he was either telling the truth or he was a really good liar, Derek wasn't sure which. The idea of starting a new life was laughable but if he managed to get out of here in a few minutes, he would take it.

"What do you want me to do for eleven minutes?" He wasn't stupid enough to just agree to anything. Not that he actually had a choice.

"Listen to my offer."

That he could do. Derek gave him a nod to continue. Now Mr. Stilinski leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees.

"I want you to stay." And there it was. Derek's stomach dropped.

"But …" Mr. Stilinski continued, his hands moving in wide gestures. "You know … on your own terms."

Derek raised an eyebrow at him and waited for an explanation. He didn't have to wait long.

"See, this city is a shark tank." He said. "You show any kind of weakness and they rip you apart. My age alone makes me look weak and letting you go, let's say it doesn't do me any favors."

"Why would you do it, then?" Derek wondered.

"Because slavery is wrong?" His whole body flailed with that statement.

"Then, why did you agree to this deal in the first place?" It didn't make sense.

Mr. Stilinski locked eyes with him and for the first time he looked serious.

"Your uncle needs money, like, desperately." He said with a hint of steel in his voice. "And you're the only thing he has left that he can sell. If I hadn't agreed to this, somebody else would have."

Derek swallowed thickly. So far this man had been nothing but honest with him, with a body language like this Derek wasn't even sure if Mr. Stilinski was even capable of lying, and he was right. If Peter wanted to sell him, he would find a buyer.

"What exactly do you want from me?" Derek asked the big question. He had nothing to offer except for what he had thought he had been brought here in the first place. But it didn't look like Mr. Stilinski wanted that from him.

"Like I said, stay. As my guest." He leaned back in his chair and made an inviting gesture over the suite. "Get some sleep, eat some food, you look like you need it."

Which was true but Derek didn't intent to tell him that.

"I guess, I'm offering you a job here, if you want it." Mr. Stilinski warmed up to the topic.

"You're willing to forget the one-hundred thousand dollars and give me a job instead? That's a lot to offer." Derek didn't mention that he already had three jobs. Not that he really cared about any of them. Maybe the one at Casino Solutions but otherwise? Not so much. "What do you expect in exchange?"

"Don't worry about the money, I have more than I can ever spend." He waved it off as if he couldn't care less about money. Which was most likely true. "What I don't have, is a reputation. But with the deal I made with your uncle …" With a wink he aimed a finger pistol at Derek.

"You want them to think that I'm what?" Derek glared at him. "Your sex slave?"

The man ignored the death glare directed at him.

"I live alone in the penthouse." He dropped his voice as if he was about to share a secret with him. "Nobody will ever know what's happening when it's just the two of us. Or better, what's not happening. You don't have to do anything, just stay here. The rumors will do the rest."


	3. Chapter 3

_The rumors will do the rest._ The words echoed through Derek's mind. He didn't know what to say.

"Look." Mr. Stilinski clapped his hands. "I got blindsided by this too. I'm making this up as I go." The look he gave Derek wasn't that of a man who owned a casino in Vegas, it was the look of a young man who had no clue what he was doing.

"How about this, you stay the night." Mr. Stilinski continued after a moment. "We order some food and get to know each other. Watch a movie. Whatever. We sleep over this, I have a guest room for you, and tomorrow over breakfast I'm going to make you a real offer. With details and everything. Sounds good?"

Derek considered it. He could just get up and leave. He didn't know Mr. Stilinski but he had the feeling that he was a man of his word. He did consider Peter's debt paid and with that Derek was free to go. However, if he showed up at home now ... He didn't dare to think of what kind of ideas that would give his uncle. Peter would try to make this kind of deal again the next chance he got, that was for sure.

So Derek nodded in agreement. A night wouldn't hurt. And he could listen to Mr. Stilinski's offer, that wouldn't hurt either.

"Great." Mr. Stilinski beamed at him. "I'm going to take a shower and slip into something more comfortable." He tucked at his dress shirt, making a face. Normally those words would sound like an innuendo but Derek got that he really just wanted to get out of the suit.

"Feel free to have a look around." He said, already half across the room. "Oh, and I almost forgot." He was back at Derek's side, an envelope in his hand. "This is for you."

With a raised eyebrow Derek took the offered envelope. It wasn't sealed and he could see the bank notes sloppily stuffed into it.

"I can't take that."

"You listened to me talking for longer than eleven minutes." The man winked at him. "Everybody who can stand that has earned his money."

"Thank you, Mr. Stilinski." Derek accepted it, he would be stupid to say no to ten grand.

"Call me Stiles, please."

"Stiles."

Derek tucked the envelope in his pocket, he didn't need to count it to know that it was more than he'd ever seen in his life.

By now Stiles had closed the bathroom door behind him and for a moment Derek stood in the living room, not sure what to do next. Stiles had said that he could have a look around so that was what he did. The first door he opened led to a guest room. This was most likely the room Stiles had offered him and Derek had a longing look at the bed.

The room was a typical but expensive hotel room, nothing personal but comfy. And it had its own bathroom with a shower and a bathtub and more space than a bathroom should have.

Getting more adventurous Derek opened the next door. And froze. A playroom.

The large windows under the ceiling and the stone gray color, the walls a few shades lighter than the carpet, gave it an open but homely ambiance. But it was the furniture that made Derek's breath hitch.

A bed that had a few too many D-rings around the frame and on the bedposts to be just for sleeping.

A cross in the corner and a padded bench on the other side, all dark wood and black leather.

Along the wall cabinets and shelves for ropes, cuffs and toys of all kind.

Derek's throat went dry at that sight. There was a pinch of longing in his chest but it got quickly smothered by the memory of her voice.

 _Stop whining, it'll heal in a second, you dumb baby._

Derek stumbled backwards and crashed into Stiles.

"Whoa." The other man made in surprise. He was flailing but he caught his footing. "I probably should explain this." He made a wide gesture over the room as if it wasn't clear what needed explaining here. "I ... well, I like to dom from time to time." He cringed, waiting for Derek's reaction. Derek just stared at him until he continued to talk. "There's this club I like to go to and sometimes I bring home somebody to play with for the night. That's not exactly a secret. I think that's how your uncle came up with the whole idea in the first place." He ushered Derek out of the room and closed the door.

Derek was too stunned to say anything but now he could guess how the rumor thing would work.

"That's exactly the look every new maid gives me after she has cleaned the suite for the first time." Stiles said with a forced smile. "This room has nothing to do with you but it's fine if you want to leave now." Suddenly he looked young and unsure and Derek wondered not for the first time how old he was. He was only wearing his dress pants, he'd already shed the shirt and had lost his shoes and socks for his shower when he'd probably remembered his playroom.

"I bet the staff has a field day with this." Derek tried to break the ice.

"You've no idea how often they call me Mr. Grey when they think I can't hear them." He made a face.

"How do you react?"

"I tell them that I'm not an abusive asshole." He clenched his fists, a challenging eye on Derek.

"If you were you would have carried through with the deal." Was all Derek had to say to that.

Stiles relaxed and only now he seemed to notice his mostly undressed state.

"Okay, I should go shower." He cleared his throat. "And then we should eat something. Does Spaghetti Carbonara sound good?"

Derek would have said yes to almost everything, he couldn't remember the last meal he had that hadn't come out of a package of some kind, but Carbonara was one of his favorites so he gave Stiles a nod.

When Stiles came back after his shower, hair still damp and sticking out in all directions, he was dressed in sweatpants, thick socks and a Captain America t-shirt. Now he really looked as if he was too young to enter his own casino.

The room service brought the food and they ate at the dining table. Derek still felt out of place in the expensive interior but the way Stiles was dressed now and how he lounged in his chair helped.

Stiles did most of the talking but he didn't seem to mind. Derek learned that he had inherited the casino from his mother and that it had been handed over to him two years ago when he'd turned twenty-one.

"The Executive Board is still convinced that I'm going to burn the place." Stiles said with a bitter tone in his voice. "And this whole fiasco with your uncle will give them more ammunition. They want me to sell the Red and just leave." He stabbed his spaghetti with his fork.

"But you won't?" Derek didn't know what a casino was worth but he figured it was enough for a fresh start somewhere else. He and Laura had done that after the fire by moving in with Peter and for a while it had been good.

"It was my mother's." Stiles said, eyes firmly on his plate.

Derek didn't know what to say to that.

However, the awkward silence didn't last long and they finished their meal with light chatter. After that they moved over to the couch and Stiles started a movie.

Captain America, what a surprise. Derek glanced at the shirt his host was wearing and hid a smile. He hadn't watched the movie before and this suited him better than talking anyway. Not that Stiles stopped talking while the movie was running. It was clear that this wasn't the first time he'd watched it and he had an in-depth commentary for almost every scene. Not that Derek minded.

Halfway through the movie Derek nodded off to sleep.

"Derek." Somebody whispered and poked him in the shoulder. "Derek, wake up."

Derek startled awake on high alert. For a moment he didn't know where he was and who the man looming over him was and Derek went into full attack mode.

"Easy there." The man backed off, out of reach of Derek's claws.

 _Stiles_ , Derek remembered.

"I'm sorry." He mumbled, fangs and claws melting away. "I didn't mean to scare you." Stiles had been nothing but kind to him and he'd almost ripped him apart for that.

"It was my fault." Stiles hurried to say and didn't hesitate to sit down next to Derek. "I should know better than to poke a sleeping werewolf. But I thought you would sleep better in an actual bed."

Derek was too tired to do anything else than to follow Stiles over to the guest room.

With a "good night" Stiles left him alone and Derek stripped down to his boxers and slipped under the covers. He was asleep a minute later.

The next time he woke up, it was late in the morning. After nine if the alarm clock on the night stand was correct. Sleeping in was a luxury he didn't get often and for sure not in a bed this comfortable so he enjoyed the silky sheets for a few minutes longer before he rolled out of bed to test the shower.

He knew he should do the polite thing and have a quick shower and be done with it but the water was actually hot and the pressure not from this world. The jets dug into his muscles, loosening the knots he hadn't known where there, and for a minute he just stood there and let the water work him over.

After the shower he put on his freshest clothes and then he was ready to face his host.

He found Stiles at the dining table. Most of the table was bending under an opulent breakfast, how many people did Stiles expect, but one end was covered with papers. Stiles sat there, hunched over and dressed in the same sweatpants and t-shirt like the day before. If again or still, Derek couldn't tell.

"Good morning." Derek said, not sure if he was interrupting some important work.

"Morning." Stiles looked up with a grin.

"Have you slept at all?" Derek wondered before he remembered that it was none of his business.

"A few hours. I wanted to get this ready." He gestured for Derek to take a seat next to him. "But I think I've nailed it down." He shoved a few papers in Derek's direction.

"What is this?" It looked like some legal stuff.

"A contract." Stiles stood up and stretched. "Read it and tell me what you think. You drink coffee?"

"Personal assistant?" Derek raised an eyebrow at him.

Stiles handed him a cup of coffee with a shrug. "It's a vague enough term. It explains why you're following me around and it keeps them guessing what else you assist me with."

"You want me to come along?" He had expected that he would be stuck in the penthouse most of the time.

"Hey, if I have a werewolf on the leash I want to show him off." The last word turned into an _uff_ when his back connected with the wall.

Before he knew it Derek had his hands fisted in Stiles' shirt and he slammed the other man into the wall without thinking.

"No leash!" He growled, his eyes flashing. "I'm not your pet." Her laughter echoed in the back of his mind.

"Metaphorically speaking." Stiles squeezed out, his eyes steady on Derek. "I would never … calm down, big guy." He patted Derek's fist and reluctantly Derek backed off. It didn't matter now anyway, he'd ruined this.

"I'm sorry." He brought some distance between them. "I'll leave."

"Hey, I sat over this all night." Stiles called after him. "You could at least read over it before you say no."

Derek stopped and slowly turned back to him. "You still want …?"

"I don't scare this easily." His heart was still beating a little fast but Derek didn't sense a lie.

Reluctantly Derek sat down and picked up the papers again.

However, before he could actually read them, the elevator dinged open and an angry looking man around Stiles' age stormed out.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"


	4. Chapter 4

The man storming out of the elevator had murder in his eyes and he was heading straight for Stiles. Derek was on his feet and in front of Stiles in an instant. He didn't know who the guy was but for sure he wouldn't let get Stiles attacked right in front of him. The man was human so he wouldn't stand a chance against Derek even if he had a gun on him which Derek hoped he hadn't. So far his hands were empty.

When Derek stepped in his path the guy stopped and blinked at him as if he hadn't expected that move.

"Scotty, hey man." Stiles greeted the other man cheerfully and Derek heard the rustling of paper behind his back when Stiles gathered the papers Derek had left behind. Right, their arrangement, if they got to one, was supposed to be a secret.

"Stiles, what the hell?" The man had lost his momentum but was still vibrating with anger while he tried to peek around Derek. Done with the papers Stiles stepped up next to Derek to face the other man. He didn't seemed fazed by the newcomer so Derek dared to relax slightly.

"Isaac called me." Scott said as if that would explain his dramatic entrance. "Is that what you've become? Have you sunken this far?" He gestured at Derek who still stood on guard but decided to let them hash this out. But then the man addressed him directly.

"Don't worry, you don't have to stay here any longer." He said to Derek in an earnest voice and with a reassuring smile on his open face. "You're free to go now."

The look the guy gave him was so sincere, so full of compassion, Derek had to bite his tongue to not laugh out loud. This was his knight in shiny armor? The one to protect his virtue? He looked more like an angry teenager than anything else. And Derek was pretty sure that this was a little more complicated than just storming in and telling him that he was free to go. Not that he needed to get rescued but it wasn't his place to tell him that.

"Scott." Stiles' voice had an edge to it that made Derek believe that he indeed was capable of managing a casino. "I'm pretty sure I know what Isaac told you and yes, it is true. But ..." He raised his voice when Scott opened his mouth to say something. "This is something between me and Derek here. I appreciate your concern but this is none of your business."

Scott closed his mouth and studied first Stiles, then Derek, searching for something.

"It is my business if you've started to just kidnap people." He raised his voice.

"Okay, I kind of kidnapped him." Stiles agreed. "But trust me, it's not what you think."

Scott's gaze shifted in the general direction of the play room. So he knew about that part of Stiles' life. And he didn't look as if he approved.

"Why is he here, then?" Scott asked. "Why is he still here?"

"He's my guest and you're interrupting our breakfast." Stiles replied easily.

Stiles was right, Derek's half full cup of coffee was getting cold and they hadn't even touched the piles of food waiting for them. Right on cue, and much to Derek's embarrassment, his stomach gave its opinion to the situation with a loud grumbling.

"See?" Stiles gestured wildly at him. "He's hungry."

"Stiles."

"Just trust me, okay?" The way he said it spoke of a long history between them and Derek could tell by the way Scott loosened his stand that he wanted to trust his friend. "I'm not a bad guy."

"No, but you're morally ambiguous."

"Still trying to squish in the big words?" Stiles fell into easy banter with him but Derek noticed that he didn't correct his friend. Not that his host's tendency to bend the rules was something new to him. But so far Stiles had stayed on the lighter side of gray.

Scott ignored his friend's comment and turned to Derek instead.

"I want to talk to Derek." He stated. "Alone." It was clear that he wouldn't take _no_ for an answer.

"Seriously, Scott?" Stiles didn't seemed impressed.

"Stiles."

"Okay, okay." He raised his hands in surrender. "I'll be in my office if you need me." He gathered his papers and a croissant and stormed off.

Scott waited until the door slammed shut behind him, then he let out a breath and his whole body relaxed.

"He's gone now." He said it as if it was a good thing. Stiles he knew and by now Derek knew what to expect from him, at least to an extent, but Scott was a stranger and Derek had no idea what he wanted. Somehow he doubted that Scott had thought farther than getting him out of the Red.

Derek just raised an eyebrow at him and waited. He got what the other man tried to do here but it wasn't necessary. He was just not sure how to convince him of that without giving away too much information.

"Are you hurt? Did he …?" Scott blushed and couldn't finish the sentence. It was kind of cute.

"I'm fine. He didn't hurt me. He won't hurt me." Derek felt the need to point that out. "Besides, I'm a werewolf, I can take care of myself."

Scott gave him a look as if he doubted that.

"Isaac told me that your uncle blackmailed you into this."

"That's right." Derek admitted. "But it was my choice to stay the night." He knew how that sounded but that was the whole point of this charade, wasn't it?

"I can get you out of here." Scott said in a low voice. "Now."

"I'm staying." Derek crossed his arms in front of his chest. He would stay for breakfast and he would hear out Stiles about the offer. After that, he would see. However, going back to his uncle now would be a bad idea so if Stiles offer wasn't too bad, he was pretty sure he would accept it.

Scott opened his mouth to say something but he must read something in Derek's tone or his posture because he closed it after a second without saying a word.

"Okay." He gave in. "But I'll give you my number in case you change your mind. Call me any time. I mean it." He stepped over to the table where Stiles had left some notes and pens. "I don't live in Vegas so if you need help immediately, Boyd and Isaac are here. They will help you." He ripped off a piece of paper and handed it to Derek.

Derek glanced over the three numbers before he put it in his pocket. He nodded his thanks, unable to speak. He didn't know Scott, he was a stranger. Why would he even care?

"Excuse me, I'd like to have a word or two for my idiot friend now." With that Scott headed over to the office.

Derek could have listened in to them if he wanted to but he decided against it. Instead he finished his coffee and then went back to the guest room where he'd left his phone to add a few new contacts. Not that he had any intention to ever use them but it wouldn't hurt to have them.

By the time he was done, the office door opened and Stiles and Scott stepped out. They looked both more at ease now and Scott even gave his friend a brotherly pat on the shoulder.

"Hope you know what you're doing." He said but didn't sound concerned.

"I always do."

In passing Scott gave Derek a nod and a meaningful glance at the pocket where he'd stuffed the piece of paper earlier and then he stepped in the elevator.

"So." Stiles drew out the word. "That was Scott."

"What did you tell him?" Derek wondered. At first it hadn't seemed as if Stiles wanted to clue his friend in but now he wasn't so sure anymore.

"Told him that you needed a place to crash." He said with a proud grin. "You're the stray werewolf I took in out of the goodness of my heart."

Derek snorted. "He believed that?"

"He's Scott." He shrugged and then rubbed his hands. "So, breakfast? I'm starving."

They sat down and Stiles poured them fresh coffee. For a while they ate in silence with Stiles not so subtly pushing more food towards Derek. Did he look that starved? In the end Derek just shrugged and put more bacon and scrambled eggs on his plate.

When they were finished, Stiles got the papers back out and over another cup of coffee Derek took his time to read the contract.

"You're going to pay me?" Derek asked in disbelief.

"Of course I'm going to pay you." Stiles said it as if it was a ridiculous idea not to pay him.

"It says here that board and lodging is on you." Derek pointed at the contract. "That I can use the hotel's pool, gym, spa." He raised an eyebrow at that. "And everything else for free. And that I get an employees discount everywhere in the casino. And on top of that you want to pay me?"

Stiles nodded enthusiastically with his mouth full of pancake. He had declared that he was full five minutes ago but there he sat, stuffing his face with pancakes.

"With all the benefits." Stiles said before he swallowed the last bit. "I wasn't sure about how much to pay you. Is it enough? I can give you more."

Derek's head swam. This was more money than he made with his three jobs combined and he wouldn't even have to spent any of it on food or rent.

 _I could send some of it to Peter,_ Derek thought but dismissed the idea immediately. For one, he was supposed to be working off Peter's debt here and two, he wasn't really in the mood to do anything nice for his uncle right now. But that reminded him …

"This is totally missing the point, I'm here to work off my uncle's debt. At least officially." Derek shook his head, this was too much. How had his life become this weird in less than twenty-four hours?

"Boyd is the only one who's going to see this contract, he's the one dealing with everything staff related, but he and Isaac won't tell anyone."

"That worked really well so far." Derek muttered, thinking of Scott.

"You're forgetting the part where I want people to know." Stiles cut in. "People know that your uncle has debts, they will notice that you showed up and his debts are gone. They will put it together. And if somebody stumbles over your contract, they'll think it's just a piece of paper to cover my ass. But it's not." Now he locked eyes with Derek. "This is genuine."

Derek swallowed thickly and turned back to reading.

In the end he signed the contract. He would have been stupid not to. They both could terminate it anytime they wanted to so there was no harm in seeing where this might went.

"What now?" Derek put the pen down and pushed the contract towards Stiles who signed it as well.

"Now." He gave him a feral grin. "We're going shopping."

"We? What."

"No offense, buddy, but your wardrobe is not quite on par with what you expect from a personal assistant."

"Says the guy in sweatpants and Captain America t-shirt." Derek countered but he had to admit, that Stiles had a point. He didn't own a suit, let alone a nice one.

"It's Wednesday." Stiles said as if that explained his casual clothes. He had his phone out and was scrolling through his contacts.

"What has that to do with anything?"

"Wednesday is my day off." He explained, phone at his ear. "My bother-me-only-in-case-of-an-emergency day off. And I don't mean out of coffee emergencies, I mean we-have-to-evacuate emergencies." He paused and Derek heard a female voice answering his call. "Hey, Lyds. I have a job for you."


	5. Chapter 5

Isaac was waiting for them at the car. Turned out that he was head of security and as that also Stiles' personal bodyguard slash driver. And since today he wasn't collecting werewolves to pay their uncle's debts, Isaac would be the one driving. He was leaning nonchalantly at the car but straightened up and buttoned his jacket when Stiles and Derek stepped out of the elevator.

Stiles had put on some actual pants and a nice shirt for this trip and once again Derek was painfully aware of his clothes. Not that he didn't care for them but they had been well worn before he'd bought them and they were still in need of laundering. But as Stiles had explained, they were about to fix that. Not the laundry part, though.

"Morning." Isaac greeted them but the look he gave his employer was cold. However, it warmed up when his eyes fell on Derek. He held the door open for them and Stiles slipped in the backseat as if he didn't notice the cold shoulder he was getting from Isaac.

When Derek tried to get in the car as well, Isaac stopped him with a pointed look.

"Are you okay?" He whispered but Derek had no doubt that Stiles could hear him even with his human ears.

"I'm fine." Derek answered and hoped that his tone made it clear that it was true. This was a crazy roller coaster ride but he was fine.

Isaac studied him for a moment longer as if he needed to make sure of that himself. Derek had no idea what he was looking for. Even if Stiles had beaten him half to death last night, by now even broken bones would have been healed.

"Scott gave you my number?" He whispered in an even lower voice. When Derek nodded to that, a sad smile formed on Isaac's lips. "Whenever you need me." He said and Derek could hear in his heart-beat that he meant it.

Derek ducked in the car and Isaac closed the door behind him.

"He's a good guy." Stiles said while Isaac couldn't hear them. "He wants to kick my ass for what I did to you."

"You're his boss."

"We've known each other before I became his boss." Stiles shifted in his seat. "That's the only reason he hasn't kicked my ass so far. This whole thing kind of hits a bit close to home for him."

Derek would have liked to ask more but Isaac opened the driver's door and with that the conversation was over.

They drove mostly in silence.

This was a part of Vegas Derek hadn't been to that often, most of the time he had been looking for his wayward uncle, but at this time of the day everything looked even more surreal than at night.

Twenty minutes later Isaac parked the car in front of a building with the the bold letters "Lydia Martin" above the entrance.

"Lyds is Lydia Martin?" Derek asked, a little too shocked to get out of the car just yet. Lydia Martin was the fashion designer in Vegas. Even Derek who wasn't interested in fashion and couldn't dream of owning even a sock with her name on it, knew that label. It was up there with Prada and all those other fancy names he didn't bother to remember. If you wore Lydia Martin, you were somebody.

"She's an old friend." Stiles shrugged while Derek rubbed his palms on his ratty jeans. He was about to die from embarrassment.

"And she's waiting for us." Stiles added when Derek didn't show any intention to leave the car. Isaac who was holding the door open for them just grinned.

 _Here goes nothing_ , Derek steeled himself and got out of the car.

Isaac stayed behind and Derek would have loved to wait with him but Stiles was dragging him forward. On his sleeve if necessary, Derek got that and hurried to keep up with him.

"Stiles." The woman coming towards them greeted him. They hugged and it wasn't air-hugging with kisses left and right like Derek would have expected. They hugged like old friends and that put Derek a bit at ease. If somebody was friends with Stiles for real they couldn't be a stickler to rules and conventions, that much Derek had learned over the last day.

"You must be Derek." She turned to him with a calculating eye. Derek did his best to keep his stoic posture and not squirm under her gaze. "I'm Lydia."

"Nice to meet you." He answered politely, ignoring the fact that she was undressing him with her eyes.

"So, Stiles, what do you need?" Her gaze was still raking up and down his body.

"A complete wardrobe." Stiles answered. "We'll start with one tailored suit but no hurry with that, for the rest, just show us what you got. However, he needs to leave here in something that makes him look like the personal assistant he is."

"That shouldn't be a problem." She nodded and gave Derek a reassuring smile. "With a face like that? He'll look gorgeous. Where did you find him, anyway?"

"Won him at a poker game." Stiles replied easily and from his tone it wasn't clear if he was joking or not. Derek had to admit it was clever.

Lydia just raised one perfect eyebrow at that and led them deeper into the store to the more private fitting area.

An Asian woman was helping another customer but other than that the store was empty. It wasn't even noon, Vegas was still sleeping.

Over the next hour Derek tried on countless pieces of clothing with Stiles running a nonstop commentary on the whole thing.

At first Derek had been excited but now he was just throwing on whatever Lydia was handing him, pants, dress shirts, jackets, he didn't care anymore. The pieces she deemed worthy got an extra treatment with pins. She worked surely and efficiently and didn't prick him once.

The pile of things to keep grew but there was little that didn't need altering. Derek didn't actually see a reason for that most of the time but he had learned in the first two minutes of knowing Lydia that his opinion on this matter didn't count.

When they had his wardrobe together, there he had his Lydia Martin socks along with underwear with her name on it, and they had even found something fitting enough that Lydia was willing to let him out of her store wearing it as it was, Derek thought it was finally over. He just wanted to go home. Or back to Stiles' place, which technically was his home for the foreseeable future. If he never had to try on any new clothes for the rest of his life ever again he would die a happy old man.

However, Lydia had other ideas.

"Strip." She ordered and sure that her order would be followed, she turned to the front of the store. "Kira, if you have a moment ..."

Moments later Derek stood only in his boxers on a little pedestal while Lydia was measuring every inch of him. Derek turned his red face towards the ceiling and let Lydia just do whatever she wanted. Her assistant, Kira, took note, not in the slightest thrown off by the random numbers Lydia was throwing at her. She wasn't human, he could tell, but not everybody was as out as the werewolves so he didn't mention it.

To his surprise the measuring involved less groping than expected and even when Lydia came close to his private parts, her hands wielding the measuring band felt nothing but professional on him. Derek relaxed slightly.

That was when he noticed Stiles. The man had retreated to the corner somewhere behind Derek but even if he couldn't see him, he for sure could hear his heart beating faster. The scent of arousal hung heavy in the air and it wasn't coming from Lydia who was almost kneeling in front of him to measure the length of the inner side of his leg. She and her assistant were focused on their work and didn't bother with unprofessional thoughts.

Derek could almost feel Stiles' gaze between his naked shoulder blades. Or maybe on his ass, he wasn't quite sure.

Then Lydia's hand hit a ticklish spot and he twitched, clenching his ass in reflex, and for sure Stiles' breath hitched.

Yesterday Stiles had refused to keep him as his personal sex slave and now he was lusting all over him. Derek wasn't sure what to make out of that. Maybe their charade wasn't such a good idea after all but so far Stiles hadn't made a move on him.

The playroom flashed in his mind but before he could explore that thought farther, memories of _her_ tainted everything. With a sigh, which he hoped passed as bored, Derek shoved the memories back into the depths of his mind.

Then Lydia was finally done with him and he could put on some clothes. He left the store head to toe dressed in Lydia Martin and felt only a little guilty when Stiles casually swiped his card to pay for the designer clothes.

Lydia said that she would call him for his first fitting session for the suit and Derek couldn't help but wonder how he'd ended up having fitting sessions with on of the world's top designers. Yesterday he had been flipping burgers.

Isaac drove them back to the Red and all Derek wanted to do was to drop dead on his bed and sleep for a week.

Instead Stiles guided him deeper into the labyrinth beyond the shiny casino and classy hotel.

"Boyd will set you up with everything you need." He told him and shoved him towards a door.

Since Stiles had been spotted outside of the penthouse on his day off, people seemed to think that they could bother him. Two people had approached him with urgent matters on the way from the garage alone and by now Stiles' phone was chiming with new messages nonstop.

"Come up to the penthouse when you're done here." He said over his shoulder, already striding down the corridor and typing furiously on his phone.

Derek stared after him for a moment before he turned around to find out what he was supposed to do here.

The door read "Vernon Boyd – Staff Manager". Right, he was now officially staff. Derek knocked and entered.

Boyd was sitting behind a neat desk, no papers astray like he'd seen on Stiles' desk in the penthouse. He was working on his computer but had one file lying on his desk. Derek had no doubt whose file it was.

"Stiles said you wanted to see me?" Derek prompted when Boyd kept on typing.

"Just let me finish …" He said, eyes firmly on the screen, but he gestured for Derek to take a seat in front of the desk. Derek had been prepared for another round of pitiful glances and questions if he was okay. This was surprisingly refreshing.

"So." Boyd finally said and reached for the file. "Stiles made you his personal assistant."

"That's right." Derek wasn't sure if he should add a "sir" but after yesterday it somehow felt wrong. Boyd didn't seem to mind. Instead he leaved through the pages of the contract as if he didn't know exactly what was in there.

"Stiles forgot the non-disclosure agreement." Boyd reached down and took a form out of a drawer. "We can and we will sue you if you give out or sell information about the Red Riding Hood, our guests or the people who work here."

Derek signed the form.

Then he signed another form for his key card.

"This will give you free access to most of the staff areas and you can use it for the elevator to get up to the penthouse." He locked eyes with Derek. "Don't lose it."

There was an awkward pause and Derek wondered if they were done here. But then Boyd spoke again.

"I don't know what Stiles is doing here." He admitted. "And he made it very clear that it's none of my business." He tapped the file. "But I have to ask. Is this what you want?"

"Yes." Derek was sure of that.

Boyd studied him for a long moment but accepted his decision without questioning.

Moments later Derek stood in the hallway with no idea which direction to turn to get back to the penthouse.


	6. Chapter 6

Derek found the right elevator eventually and his key card indeed allowed him to go up to the penthouse. Stiles wasn't back yet and for a moment Derek wasn't sure what to do next. He still felt like a stranger in these rooms.

First he changed into his own clothes, the suit didn't feel like his either, and then he settled down on one of the couches. He just wanted to sit for a moment and let the events of the last twenty-four hours sink in but the lack of sleep and the busy morning caught up with him rather quickly and he drifted off to sleep only minutes later.

He woke up because somebody was poking him with a stick. He snapped awake with a growl and caught the stick before it could poke him in the side once again.

"What?" Derek sat up and tried to make sense out of the situation. At the other end of the stick stood Stiles, a smug grin on his face.

"See? I'm learning." He said proudly.

"What." Derek repeated. He rubbed his face, maybe that would help to make sense out of the situation.

"Last time you almost slashed my face." Stiles made a claw with his free hand, slashing it through the air.

"That's why you're poking me with a stick?" He glanced down at the stick in question still securely in his fist. He didn't take any chances as long as Stiles was holding on to the other end.

"It's a cane, actually." Stiles clarified.

"Why do you have a ..." He stopped short and his eyes snapped over to the door to the playroom. He let go of the cane as if he'd been burned. "I hope you've sanitized it."

"Of course I sanitized it. What are you thinking of me?" He pouted but put the cane away. "Anyway, it's past noon and I wondered if you're hungry."

He was, he had to admit. While they had been gone somebody had taken care of their breakfast leftovers and Derek hadn't felt bolt enough to just order something in on his own.

Room service brought them sandwiches not much later and they ate in comfortable silence.

"So, I'm free for the rest of the day." Stiles said. "Anything you want to do? But I'm telling you now, if you want to leave the penthouse you're on your own. I'm lucky I made it back here alive I'm not going out there before I have to tomorrow."

Derek couldn't think of anything he wanted to do outside, he would be perfectly fine with catching up with more sleep if he was honest, so they settled for a lazy day in. He asked if he could have a look at Stiles' books, he had basically a library up here, and they ended up sitting quietly on separate couches each of them with their own book.

Derek only knew Stiles for a day but he had already figured out that the younger man was rarely quiet. However, he managed to keep the comments on what he was reading down enough so that Derek still could enjoy his book.

Stiles had a good taste in books, Derek wouldn't get bored any time soon. Not that he expected to have much time to read. Stiles had made it quite clear that Wednesday was his only day off and that he expected Derek to come with him to meetings or whatever it was a casino owner did all day the rest of the week.

If the glimpse of Stiles' busy life he had witnessed earlier was anything to go by, Derek wouldn't have much time for reading. He was still not sure how much of an assistant Stiles excepted him to actually be and he had the suspicion that Stiles had no idea either. Good to know that they were both flying blind here.

Derek excused himself rather early in the evening and he slept like a rock till morning. He couldn't remember the last time he had slept this good.

His first official day as Stiles' personal assistant started with sleeping in. It made sense, the casinos were busy way into the morning hours so most people working there would use the morning for sleeping.

They started off with brunch over which Stiles told him about his schedule. Stiles' schedule, that is, but now it was Derek's as well. It didn't look too bad but Derek wasn't sure if that was normal or if Stiles had canceled a thing or two to start him off easy.

"Mainly I want to show you around and introduce you to some people." Stiles summed it up. "You know, let people know that you're allowed to be around so they won't call security on you if they see you wandering around alone." He thought about that for a moment. "Isaac would get a kick out of that but he has actual work to do."

So Derek put on his new suit and then followed Stiles to his first meeting.

There was a bit of a hassle, nobody was prepared for Stiles' plus one, during which Derek assured Stiles and everybody else that he was fine with just standing by the door and Stiles insisted on another chair so that his assistant could sit next to him. The whole fuss put Derek more in the spotlight than he would have liked but for sure everybody in the room would remember him after this. Which was the whole point, wasn't it?

When the meeting was finally over Derek was so overwhelmed by the legal terms and conditions Stiles and the others had been throwing around, he couldn't even tell what they had been discussing, something about the concession of an ice cream parlor?

Good thing was, word got around after that and at the second meeting there was a place already set up for him. This one was smaller, only three people, so there wasn't a whole room staring at him and they did their best to stay professional but Derek noticed the glances thrown at him and for sure he heard the whispered comments once he and Stiles were out of the room.

At one point Derek had to go back to the penthouse to get some papers Stiles had forgotten and he used the moment alone to take a deep breath. He was tempted to not go back to the meeting but in the end he gathered the papers, put on his best stoic face and hurried back to Stiles.

Over the afternoon Derek got introduced to people and shook hands and when he and Stiles retreated to the penthouse for dinner, his head was swimming.

"Don't worry if you don't remember any of the names." Stiles assured him. "Most of them are not really important. As long as you remember me, Isaac and Boyd you'll be fine."

After dinner Stiles needed to do some stuff in his office, his official one not the one in his suite, and he offered Derek to sit this one out, it would be boring as hell, but Derek reminded him that it would look odd if his personal assistant wasn't around to assist him.

In the end Derek brought his book and made himself comfortable in one of the leather chairs in Stiles' office while Stiles worked on his computer and made a few calls.

When after an hour Stiles stood up and stretched, Derek was on his feet as well.

"I'm just going to get some coffee." Stiles waved him off. "You want some?"

"Stiles?" Derek blocked the door before he could open it. "What was my job again?"

Stiles just blinked at him before understanding dawned on his face.

"Personal assistant, right." He raked his fingers through his hair. "You know, I never had a personal assistant before, I need time to get used to it."

"I see that." Derek crossed his arms over his chest, waiting.

"What?"

"How do you like it?"

Stiles spluttered.

"Your coffee." Derek rolled his eyes. "How do you like your coffee?"

"Coffee, right." He composed himself. "Three sugars, no milk. And if you bring decaf you're fired. I need my caffeine, that's the whole point of drinking coffee."

Derek left him standing there, still rambling about coffee, and went to check out the small kitchen he'd seen down the hallway.

There was a secretary's desk right outside Stiles' office but so far Derek hadn't seen any secretary. His first thought had been that it was her day off or something but when he came back with two cups of coffee, he noticed that the desk didn't look like it was in use.

No secretary and no personal assistant? How did Stiles manage a job like this?

 _At least now he has somebody to bring him his coffee_ , Derek thought not without a hint of sarcasm.

"Ready to hit the floor?" Stiles asked when he'd finished both, his coffee and his office work.

Derek closed his book and raised an eyebrow.

"Ready to what?"

"You're no fun." Stiles pouted. "And you really need to get that frown off your face, you're going to scare our guests."

The floor, as Stiles addressed the area where the gambling happened, was hell. Stiles had switched to a red suit with a white shirt and after a short check-in with Isaac he jumped right in. He was clearly in his element, smiling and shaking hands, while Derek followed him through the noisy crowd.

To his werewolf ears everything was too loud with the slot machines screaming in his ears and people yelling and laughing all around him. The scent was overwhelming and there was just too much of everything. He kept his eyes on Stiles' red-clad back and just followed him around. It was too noisy for a real conversation so he got away with staying silent in the background.

It was almost three in the morning when Derek dropped in his bed, a headache pounding behind his eyes. He hadn't even known that he could get a headache.

When he woke up late the next morning he felt better but he stayed in bed for a little while longer, wondering if this was worth it.

Peter would spend his whole life in a casino if he could get away with it so Derek hoped that he would get used to it. That part of this job was the worst, the rest was pretty easy but he doubted that he had seen everything there was to this job. Not that he really had to do anything if he didn't want to, just being there would be enough to get the rumors going, but doing nothing for the money Stiles was paying him felt just wrong.

However, so far Stiles tended to forget that he now had somebody for stupid tasks like getting coffee.

Derek rolled out of bed to grab a shower and by the time he came out of the bathroom he heard Stiles moving around in the suite. The scent of fresh coffee and croissants made his mouth water. At least the food was good, he had to admit.

Like the day before Stiles told him what was on the schedule for the day. It sounded almost like an exact copy of the last one but he guessed that that was just Stiles' personal hell. Stiles had his fun on the floor, mingling with the crowd, but he hadn't made a secret of his dislike of the boring office stuff.

Before they had finished their meal Stiles' phone had rang twice and he was constantly getting messages. Derek didn't know enough about Stiles' life to tell if that was normal or if the casino was about to collapse but so far Stiles had stayed calm and seemed more bored than anything else.

To his surprise Derek's own phone dinged with an incoming message. He expected it to be from Peter, he was the only person who would call or text him, but the message wasn't from his alpha.

 _I'm coming over at 5pm. Be there. Lydia._

He wasn't even sure if he would have time then but when he told Stiles that much he just shrugged and pointed out that Derek didn't have to attend to all of Stiles' appointments.

Derek wasn't sure if he wanted to face Lydia alone, though.

Before they left the penthouse to face the day, Derek got another message. This time from Boyd.

 _Spare yourself some running and make sure that Stiles has the report with him._


	7. Chapter 7

Derek didn't know which report Boyd was referring to in his message but when he mentioned it to Stiles he cursed under his breath and went back to his office to grab a folder. Derek just shook his head and texted a quick thanks to Boyd. Usually he wasn't the texting type but it couldn't hurt to be friendly.

They went to see Boyd first, there was something about insurance they had to discuss, but Derek understood only half of it. Nobody bothered to explain anything to him, he was more eye candy than anything else, he knew that, and the way Stiles and Boyd went over the report spoke of a recurrent thing, maybe they had to go over this every month or something.

They left Boyd's office half an hour later and to Derek's surprise Boyd took him aside to list a few things Stiles had to take care of over the next few days.

"Make sure he doesn't forget this." Boyd insisted with an edge in his voice that spoke of bad experience. So far Stiles hadn't come off as lazy but he wasn't the most focused person either. Derek promised to remind him and Boyd nodded with real relief on his face.

When he followed Stiles to his next meeting Derek wondered in how much need of an assistant he really was.

 _Maybe I should take this job more seriously,_ Derek thought. And if he was honest, he would feel much better if his job wasn't just an excuse for him being around. The rumors would spread either way, so why not make the best out of this.

Decision made Derek followed Stiles into the room. Today nobody even bet an eye when he took his place alongside Stiles. It was a start.

Over the next two hours Derek met more new people, or the same all over again, he wasn't sure, but now he paid more attention. Sometimes he didn't really know what was going on, when they were continuing an argument that had gone on for a while for example, but all in all Derek kept his ears open and followed as much as he could. He wished that he could take notes but wasn't sure if that would look weird and he didn't have anything to take notes with anyway. Not even a pen and a notepad.

Later when they were in Stiles' office again, he mentioned it to him. He almost didn't say anything, it was a stupid idea and this wasn't really his job, but Stiles' face lit up at that idea and he almost looked grateful.

"When you're done with Lydia, go to Isaac. He'll set you up with everything." Stiles said and reached for the phone to instruct Isaac.

"You want me to have access to your system?" Derek asked in disbelief when Stiles had ended the call. "Are you sure."

"Unless you want to rob me?" Stiles looked at him, head tilted as if he was picturing something in his mind. "You're too honest for that."

"You don't even know me."

"No." Stiles pushed his chair away from the desk and folded his hands behind his head. He looked like a sixteen year old who was up to something. "But I'm a good judge when it comes to people. I know if somebody is up to something."

"You put a lot of trust in a feeling." Derek pointed out, not sure if he liked the way Stiles was looking at him. "And you like me, you're attracted to me."

Stiles' pose faltered into a flailing mess and he spluttered in search for words to tell him how wrong he was. But even if he could form a real sentence at the moment, the blush and the sudden wave of arousal coming off him alone would have told Derek that he was right.

"It's fine." Derek assured him. "You didn't force me into anything when you had the chance, I'm pretty sure you won't molest me in my sleep now."

Stiles cleared his throat, for once lost for words.

"My point is." Derek continued. "Something like that can cloud your mind. You want me to be trustworthy." He didn't want to rob the casino or something like that but trustworthy wasn't a word Derek would use to describe himself. He never intended to ruin anything but in the end everything around him broke and left him standing in the shredded pieces of his life without a clue how it happened. He didn't want that for Stiles. It had happened to his family, to Laura and now he'd somehow disappointed Peter enough to make him sell him to pay for his debts. It was only a matter of time until he would ruin this as well.

"The question is." Stiles interrupted his train of thought. "Do you want to take your job as my assistant serious?"

"Yes." He had made that decision earlier today so now he answered without hesitation. Stiles nodded as if that was the answer he had expected.

"As my assistant you have to be able to actually assist me." Stiles said. "You need to know stuff and you need to have access to it."

Derek couldn't argue with that and so it was settled.

Half an hour before Lydia would be there, Stiles kicked him out of the office with the words: "Dude, you don't want to make her wait, trust me."

The horrified look on his face made Derek head back to the penthouse in a hurry. Only to sit there with almost have an hour to kill. He sighed.

At five to the the dot, the phone rang.

For a moment Derek wasn't sure if he should answer, it was Stiles' suite, but in the end he answered with a "Hello?"

If the clerk at the other end was surprised to not have Stiles on the line, he didn't show. Instead he informed Derek that Ms. Martin was there to see him. If he should send her up?

For some reason Derek had expected her to come alone. However, when he saw the rolling rack with suit bags hanging from the bar he wondered how naive he could be.

"Derek, nice to see you again." Lydia greeted him and held out one perfectly manicured hand for a delicate handshake. He was worried that he would crush her bones without meaning to but her handshake was surprisingly firm. Her eyes wandered over him, clearly appreciating her suit on him. Behind her Kira rolled in the rack and started to spread out things randomly on the chairs and couches. If there was a system to it, Derek didn't see it.

"Let's start with the things I've altered for you, shall we?" Lydia clapped her hands.

A minute later Derek was once again down to his underwear, this time it even had her name on it, but neither woman seemed to care about his state of mostly nakedness while they handed him things to put on.

The first suit fit him perfectly, which Lydia accepted with a nod, but others needed a stitch here or there to make them perfect for him which Kira did almost on the fly. The two worked well together and it didn't take long and they were done with this part.

"Wonderful." Lydia declared and reached for another bag. "Now for the fun part."

What she put on him next had nothing to do with the promised suit. It was just a jumble of rags that looked like they may had been a suit at some point. It reminded Derek of old black and white movies where they used this kind of clothes to show how deep the well groomed man from the beginning had fallen. Just that this was the other way around. He had started at rock bottom, this was a step up.

So he just stood there and let Lydia drape the not even half-finished suit over him. She put what felt like a hundred needles in while he tried to not breathe wrong and make her prick him.

"That should do it for now." She stepped back to admire her work. To Derek it was still just random patches of black fabric, held together by pins.

Lydia and Kira gathered their things in practiced movements while Derek put his suit back on. By the time he was fully dressed again, Kira was already maneuvering the rack back in the elevator. Lydia, however, stayed back.

The whole time she had been nothing but professional but now that mask dropped and her face showed something else. Concern? He wasn't sure how to read her.

"I've asked around about you." She told him.

Derek didn't answer and just waited for her to continue. This was what his deal with Stiles was really about. Stiles wanted people to ask around. But Derek wasn't sure if he liked the way Lydia stepped closer, her heels clicking on the marble floor.

"You are a nobody." She said right into his face. "You are a beta werewolf with a well known gambling addict for an alpha. A few days ago they wouldn't have let you set a foot in this casino." She studied him for a moment as if she was searching for something. "And now you're here."

Derek raised an eyebrow at her but still didn't say a word. She was close to coming to the right conclusion on her own.

"Stiles has already spent more money on your wardrobe than you will ever earn in your pathetic little life." She said it with a little pout but her eyes were cold. "I don't know what kind of scam you and your uncle are running here and how you tricked Stiles into taking you in but I'm telling you, you're playing with fire here." She put her hand on his chest, her fingernails like blood-red claws on the white fabric of his dress shirt. "Stiles is a very good friend of mine, if you betray his trust, I will destroy you."

That wasn't the turn he had expected her to take. Taken aback he just glared at her for a moment before he pried her hand off his chest. He squeezed her wrists a little more than necessary but she glared right back at him without making a sound.

"What's going on between Stiles and me is nobody else's business." He informed her when he let go of her wrist.

She glared at him, clearly telling him that she thought different about that, but in the end she just flipped her hair back over her shoulder and turned to grab her purse.

"I'll let you know when your suit is ready." She told him coldly. Head held high and heels clicking like she was marching to war, she walked over to the elevator.

Once he was alone, Derek let out a long breath.

Stiles had compared the city to a shark tank and Derek had thought that he was exaggerating, however, he was pretty sure that he had just met one of said sharks. At least this one was on Stiles' side if not on Derek's.

Derek was tempted to leave the suit bags lying on the couch but he had the feeling that Lydia would come back and rip off his balls if he didn't hang them up properly.

After that he had just enough time to see Isaac before he would have dinner with Stiles. However, finding Isaac's office in this labyrinth of offices and hallways was a task by it self and then Isaac wasn't even there.

 _Where are you?_ Derek texted him. He had wasted more than enough time wandering around the building.

The answer came in a minute later, telling him where to go. Somewhere in Security, if he placed the room number right.

When Derek reached the door with the right number, it was locked but his key card opened it for him. He had only a second to wonder how high his security level really was, because this was without a doubt the heart of the casino he was entering here, before he noticed the tense atmosphere in the room.

Stiles and Isaac were talking to each to other in the corner, their faces looking grim in the glow of the monitors covering a whole wall while other people were sitting in front of said wall without doing anything about the flashing warnings on the screens. The only one doing something was a distressed looking guy yelling into his phone.


	8. Chapter 8

Nobody seemed to notice Derek so he stood just there in the door for a moment, taking in the scene in front of him. Over the yelling from the guy on the phone he heard a female voice on the other end and it took him a second to place it. This was the first time he heard it from this end.

However, the guy didn't do what Erica was telling him. If he just didn't listen to her, possible, he was more busy with yelling at her than anything else, or if he didn't understand what she wanted him to do, in the end it didn't help to solve the problem.

Derek could hear Erica getting angrier by the second, her voice strained in forced politeness, and he could clearly tell that this wasn't going anywhere.

Without even thinking, Derek strode over and ripped the phone out of the guy's hand.

"Sir, please. If you just ..."

"The moron is gone." Derek informed her before she could give the instruction again she had repeated at least three times over since he had entered the room. "Just give me a second to see what we're up to here."

Next to him the moron was gaping at him and out of the corner of his eye he saw Isaac followed by Stiles coming over but he tuned them out and focused on the task at hand. The stunned silence at the other end of the line gave him enough time to have a quick look around.

"Derek?" Erica asked in clear disbelief.

"Yeah, it's me."

"Where the hell have you been?" She said, her voice way too loud in his ear. "Finstock is about to pop an aneurysm. He's offering his remaining testicle to anyone telling him where you're hiding."

Derek glanced at Stiles who was holding back Isaac.

Derek was pretty sure that he was breaking every rule there was to break around here but for now Stiles had apparently decided to let him take over. Why, Derek had no idea.

Derek wasn't sure what had come over him, this was not in the job description. At least not in this job's description and since he hadn't come around to quit his job at Casino Solutions ...

"Long story." He focused back on Erica. "Let's just get this running again."

There was another pause, the questions hanging heavy in the air, but then she agreed and they went back to business.

"Okay, I'm seeing it now." Derek poked around the system in search for the most common problems. "Can you run a ..."

"Already running." She cut him off. "Would you have a look ..."

"It's down." He knew what she wanted him to have a look at and he was already looking.

They worked their way through the trouble shooting like this and Derek had to admit, doing this with somebody who knew what she were doing and actually did what had to be done felt good.

"I thought they fixed that with a patch a few months back." Erica said when they had found and fixed the problem. It was a well known problem which shouldn't be a problem any longer.

"This system hasn't been updated in a while." Derek checked the status information. "It's still running the 3.10 version."

"The what?"

Derek didn't bother to comment that, her outrage mirrored his. No casino should still be running under this version, the security risk ... it was a miracle that they hadn't been shut down just for the hell of it.

"Speaking of running." Since the obvious problem was solved, Derek had a closer look.

For now Stiles seemed to have come to the conclusion that Derek could do whatever he wanted for as long as he wanted so everybody kept their distance and let him work. The yelling moron had shut up a while ago and Derek wasn't even sure if he was still in the room. At the moment he was too busy trying to find his way through the chaos in front of him.

"I've no idea how this system is still running." He told Erica with a delay. "And I'm not touching any of this to find out."

"That's your problem." She informed him way too cheerfully. "I did what I can do from this end."

Normally they would end the call now, they didn't get paid for small talk, but both of them hesitated to actually end it.

"So, long story." She said. "Call me some time and tell me?"

"Sure." He said, not sure if he would call her. Probably not. And she didn't have his number. They had most likely called his work phone a million times but he had only taken his private one with him and he doubted that Peter would bother with answering his phone. If he was even at home.

"Don't sure me." She called him out on it immediately. "Call me or I will bother everybody at the Red until I get your number."

He wouldn't put it past her to actually do that so he promised to call her soon and then disconnected the call. When he finally dared to turn around, everybody was staring at him.

"It should be running for now." He said and fought the urge to back off until he hit the desk behind him.

"That's good." Stiles was the first to speak. "That's really good. Isn't it?" He turned to Isaac for the last part.

"Who the fuck is this guy?" The moron demanded to know, already reaching for the keyboard, most likely to find out what kind of damage Derek had caused. To Derek's surprise Isaac caught his wrist before he could press a key.

"Before you go back to work I have a few questions I'd like to ask you, Andrew." Isaac said with steel in his voice.

"What the fuck?" He wrenched his wrist out of Isaac's grip. "This guy just waltzes in and tempers around with the system and not only did you not stop him but now you have questions for me?"

"Andrew." Issac said in a reasoning tone but it was clear that he wanted to just punch someone. "Just take a break for now, okay?"

"You have any idea what kind of security breach this is?" Andrew turned to Stiles for backup while Derek just wanted to melt into the background. He had just wanted to help.

"At the moment I'm taking my chances with the guy who actually works for Casino Solutions." Isaac shut him up and Stiles did nothing to intervene.

Still fuming Andrew left but Derek had the feeling that he had just made an enemy. That made two in only a few hours, that had to be some kind of record.

The other people in the room reluctantly went back to work which left Derek, Stiles and Isaac awkwardly standing around.

"My office is the closest." Isaac said with a sigh and headed towards the door. Stiles and Derek followed.

He was probably about to get fired, Derek mused. He had helped out, sure, but he had also crossed quite some lines. Isaac and Stiles both did not look happy at all. At least Isaac smelled like he was about to explode.

The door of Isaac's office closed with a final thud behind them, cutting them off from prying eyes and ears.

"I'm sorry." Derek started as soon as they were alone. "I know, I shouldn't have …"

"Stop it right there." Stiles cut him off. "You just saved us a lot of trouble, money and headache. I don't think I have to tell you how essential the computers are in a casino. So, thanks for solving that problem so quickly. Andrew seemed to be in a little over his head."

"That's one way to put it." Isaac huffed.

A little more at ease Derek took the offered chair in front of Isaac's desk with Stiles sitting next to him.

"You said that this problem should have been fixed with a patch months ago." Isaac addressed him.

"And that we're running on an outdated version." Stiles added. "You also seemed to be put off when you had a closer look."

"I only had a short look." Derek shifted in his seat. "But your system is not set up as it should be. It looks fine at first but you don't have to dig deep to notice something is off. I'm not sure if that causes problems or not."

Stiles and Isaac shared a glance, some silent conversation going on between them.

"Can you update the system to the latest version?" Isaac asked and Derek gave him a nod. That was the easy part.

"But." Derek said. "I'm not sure if that will do you any good. Like I said, I don't know what else is going on with your system so I can't tell how it will deal with a newer version."

He had his suspicion that Andrew had held off with the updates for a reason. After thinking about that for a second he told Stiles and Isaac as much, they needed to know.

"I told you I don't like Andrew." Stiles said to Isaac.

"He's been working here longer than we have." Isaac shot back in the resigned tone of an old argument.

"I don't care how good the executive board thinks he is, if it turns out that he fucked up on purpose or that he's just a moron in general, he's fired." Stiles slumped back in his chair, fingers drumming impatiently on the arm rest.

"Agreed." Isaac said darkly but when his turned towards Derek the shadow over his face was gone. "I think we need somebody with fresh eyes to clean up this mess."

It was clear who he had in mind and Derek had to say that he liked the idea. Working with computers had always been his thing. It was like solving a puzzle.

"I can have a look." He said as vaguely as possible. "But I can already tell you that it will take a while."

"How long?" Stiles asked.

"We can't shut down the casino for a day or two so I have to work on a running system." A system he wasn't familiar with, which made it more difficult. "At least a week."

He expected them to argue, to demand quicker results, but they both nodded to that.

"Start as soon as you can." Stiles told him. "Isaac will set you up with everything you need."

"I can start now, if you want." Derek offered. The only things left on their schedule for today was dinner, which they had already skipped, and hitting the floor. He would rather work on the system if he was honest.

"First I want to have a word with Andrew." Stiles said. "And I want to have you with me."

Half an hour later all three of them sat in one of the conference rooms and waited for Andrew to join them.

When the man finally entered the room, his arrogant step faltered when the saw Stiles sitting there flanked by Derek and Isaac. He'd probably thought that he would deal with the head of security alone and not with the big boss directly. It was sometimes hard to believe but Stiles was the big boss around here and at the moment he sold it.

Derek didn't enter the conversation but he listened to Andrew's heart-beat while the man explained everything away and came up with good reasons why he hadn't updated the system.

Andrew pointed out that he had been a loyal employee for over five years now and that he'd always delivered good work. If there was something really wrong now, it was an honest mistake and he would work hard to keep something like this from happening again.

In the end Stiles didn't fire him on the spot but he was suspended until Derek had a chance to have a real look at the system. Then they would see.

Andrew thanked them and left.

They all sat back in their chairs, busy with their own thoughts.

Into the silence of the room Derek finally said: "You do know that he's lying, don't you?"


	9. Chapter 9

"You do know that he's lying, don't you? " Derek said. Next to him Stiles nodded as if he thought the same.

"Are you sure?" Isaac asked.

"Dude." Stiles cut in. "There's a reason we have separate poker tables for werewolves."

"Question is." Stiles continued. "Is he lying just to cover his incompetent ass or is he covering up something bigger?"

"What do you mean with bigger?" Isaac asked. The same question was on Derek's mind but he figured it wasn't his place to ask. Derek doubted that this was a big conspiracy a la Hollywood, though. Probably just an idiot who didn't know how to do his job.

"No idea." Stiles let out a frustrated groan.

"I'll talk to Boyd." Isaac said. "Let him have a look at his file."

"Just keep it quiet." Stiles reminded him. "I don't want this to become a big deal before Derek had a chance to have a look at what's really going on with our system."

With that it was settled.

Derek and Stiles wanted to head up to the penthouse for a late dinner but when they left the conference room, Isaac held Derek back. He was pretty sure that Stiles noticed them falling behind but he just kept on walking.

"I don't know what kind of arrangement you exactly have with Stiles." Isaac said in a low voice. At least he seemed to be past the point where he thought that Stiles would rape him. "But this is not part of that. You don't have to help us here."

"I want to help." Derek said.

"I'm going to talk to Stiles about at least paying you for your help." He said and for a moment it looked like he was about to sprint after his boss to talk to him right now.

"Thank you, but Stiles and I already had that talk." Derek said. Stiles was paying him way to much as it was.

However, he made a mental note to talk to Stiles about what he should or shouldn't tell Isaac and Boyd. For now they might be okay with their arrangement even if they didn't know the details but once the rumors would start for real, Derek wasn't sure what they would think. Especially Isaac seemed to be really concerned about him.

Derek and Stiles had only time for a few bites of their sandwiches while they got dressed for the mingling part of the evening but Derek wasn't really hungry anyway. And he wasn't really looking forward to jumping into the crowd but it was part of his job so Derek put on one of his new suits and then followed Stiles down to the pit.

The casino was as loud and crowded as always but it wasn't that bad anymore. Looked like he slowly got used to it. He wasn't sure if he liked it.

Today Derek followed a few of conversations going on around him with interest and he kind of enjoyed it when they stopped at one of the poker tables where an intense game was going on. The stacks were high and there were two all-ins before they had a winner.

The people gathered around the table cheered when the final hand was shown and the winner drew her chips towards herself with both arms. There was no need for that, the dealer would have stacked them neatly for her but Derek got that she enjoyed making a show out of it. Judging by the amount of chips on the table, she deserved it.

Stiles congratulated her to the win and got her and her friends champagne on the house.

"Everybody loves a winner." Stiles mumbled to Derek when they left the table. Apparently it was now a lucky table and people were almost throwing fists to get a seat there. Derek didn't want to know how much money the casino would make off of this table in the next hour alone. Even if this one woman had been lucky, in the end the house always wins.

They went back to their suite in the early morning, beat and exhausted, but Derek fell into his bed with a satisfied smile on his face.

The next week went by in a blur.

Stiles only took him to the most important meetings, one of them the weekly get together with the Executive Board which turned out to be a bunch of snobby assholes who treated Stiles like the scum of the universe. They completely ignored Derek which he was fine with but he was pretty sure that at least a few had already heard the blooming rumors and for sure he didn't like the looks some of them were giving him. He doubted that it would help Stiles' standing with them but on the other hand Stiles didn't have a standing with them to begin with. That much was obvious after a two hour meeting in which all they discussed was if Stiles' decisions over the last week would ruin them or not.

"They treat you like a toddler." Derek commented once they finally left the conference room. "Especially that Ennis guy."

The man was a werewolf and there had been a brief stare-down when Derek had entered the room but they were both betas so as long as their alphas weren't in a war they would get along. Derek didn't know which pack he belonged to, there were four permanently in Vegas, but due to the unique situation in the city with werewolves visiting from all over, they all had learned to be more civil with each other than other packs in less confined places would consider normal.

"He's the loudest voice telling me to just give up and sell the Red." Stiles let out a sigh. "His alpha's girlfriend owns the Alpha Pack and she would love to buy the Red."

"Aren't there rules against something like that?" Derek wondered. "I mean how can he make objective decisions for the Red with a background like that?"

"Believe me, I would have kicked him out the second I took over the Red but I need the majority of the Executive Board for that and they all miss the good old days where they could do whatever the hell they wanted and since Jennifer Blake can't be in two casinos at the same time they think they can get that with her."

That name rang a bell.

"That's Kali's pack."

"Yep." Stiles let the word pop. "Do you know her?"

"I've never met her but she basically owns Vegas." He paused when he noticed Stiles' confused expression. "From a werewolf point of view at least." He clarified. "Her pack is the biggest, you can find one or two of her pack members in almost every casino. She tolerates the other three packs but one alpha is Peter and the other two packs aren't much bigger than ours. We're no threat to her."

"I have two of her werewolves in my staff." Stiles admitted. "Mostly security for the werewolf tables but they're good at spotting cheaters in general."

"I saw them on the floor." Derek nodded. They hadn't interacted but they had acknowledged each other.

Aside from the meetings Derek had two more fitting sessions with Lydia until he finally had his own tailored Lydia Martin suit. He wasn't sure on which occasion he should wear it, though, he had more than enough suits for his job already, but Stiles assured him that there would be occasions like a grand opening where he would like to wear something like this.

Derek put the suit in the back of his closet.

Lydia hadn't threatened him again but he wasn't sure if that was a good sign or not. Had she heard the rumors already?

Most of the week Derek spent with Isaac, working on cleaning up their system. Like he had suspected, it wasn't just done with updating it to the latest version. Andrew was clearly a moron who had no idea what he was doing but some of the things Derek found weren't just dumb mistakes.

Derek's advantage was that he knew the system inside out and he had Erica only a call away with tools at hand specifically designed for this system. He had to call her twice over the week and in the end he had to agree to meet her over a coffee to tell his story. At least he managed to put that off for another week. Seeing the mess he was dealing with, she understood.

Isaac was a big help too. He didn't know much about the computer stuff but he helped with sorting through the levels of classification and he gave Derek access to everything he needed. Which in the end was literally everything. Derek now had the same classification as Stiles, it was kind of scary.

However, Isaac didn't seem to be worried about that, he trusted Stiles' gut when it came to people.

Over the week Derek got to know him a bit and he liked the dry sarcasm the younger man let show once they had warmed up to each other. And he kind of gossiped about their boss, it was nice.

"Never watch a mystery thriller with him." Isaac warned him. "He points out the bad guy after five seconds of screen time."

After a week Derek had the system up to date and had untangled most of the things Andrew had tempered with over the years.

"I don't recommend letting him back into the system." Derek said when he presented Stiles and Isaac his results.

"Don't worry." Isaac said darkly. "He gets fired first thing tomorrow."

Derek nodded to that not sure how to approach the other things he had found.

"He might not be our biggest problem." He finally said.

"What do you mean?" Stiles looked up from his phone where he had taken notes.

"I found a program that doesn't belong there and I've no idea what it does." Derek admitted. He was good at what he was doing, he knew that, but he wasn't a hacker. There were limits to his abilities and he had reached them here.

"Can't we just delete it?" Isaac ask. "Or, I don't know, put it in quarantine or something? Like a virus?"

"It has connections to other programs, that much I can tell." Derek said. "I don't know what will happen if I start poking at it. I can't even have a real look at it because I can't access it."

"You have access to everything." Isaac reminded him.

"Not to this one." Derek shook his head.

"So we don't know if it's just spying on us or if it's doing something like siphoning money to somewhere else. Awesome." Stiles slumped back in his seat. "Or if it's something like a time bomb that can knock us out at any moment."

All valid ideas and Derek couldn't rule even one of them out.

"I have a friend at Casino Solutions." Derek finally said. He wasn't sure how he had gotten this involved and bringing her in was probably not a good idea but he liked Stiles and if he could help him …

"Erica, the one who helped me once or twice over the last few days." He directed the last part at Isaac who confirmed it with a short nod. "She's better with the hacking stuff. I'm going to see her next week, I could ask her to have a look."

"An outsider might be a good idea." Isaac pondered while Stiles already said: "Do that."

They agreed to keep this a secret for now. Since Derek was sure that he hadn't triggered anything with his work they were fairly certain that whoever was behind this didn't know they had found his program.

Boyd would have a little chat with Andrew before he fired him for incompetence. He hadn't found anything fishy about him so they were kind of hoping that Andrew would let something slip. It was a slim chance but it was all they had.

"If this program has to be updated to be compatible with the new version we might get a lead." Derek offered.

"So we're hoping that there's somebody else on our staff who can't be trusted?" Stiles got immediately what he meant.

"Or they already have a backdoor to our system." Derek added.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N** _The self-harm warning is for this chapter and the next one. If you're concerned about this, please read the note at the end of this chapter for more details._

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It had been almost two weeks since Derek had made the deal with Stiles and so far everything went very well. For the first time in forever Derek felt well rested and he couldn't remember the last time he'd gone hungry. The last bit was a lie, he had gone hungry almost two weeks ago, but it felt longer. Almost like it had been in a different life.

He and Stiles went along well and Derek had to say that he really liked the younger man. Not in the same way Stiles liked him but Stiles never let his feelings for Derek get in the way and they spent time together aside from their jobs as often as they could.

However, there were two things Derek hadn't anticipated when he'd signed the contract.

The first thing was how well the rumors worked. The first few days nobody in the casino had known where Derek had come from or what to do with him but now everybody knew him at least from sight. And not everybody took into consideration that he was a werewolf and could hear them talking behind his back. Or they didn't care.

Once or twice he heard one of those Mr. Grey comments Stiles had mentioned but now they were directed at him as well. Maids blushed when he ran into them, most of them had seen Stiles' playroom, others were talking about how wrong and disgusting the whole arrangement was while at the same time they wondered what kind of _assistance_ Derek had to provide when they were alone in Stiles' suite. Some even openly regretted that he was a werewolf so they couldn't see him limping in the morning.

Derek did his best to ignore all of that, most of them didn't acknowledge his existence most of the time anyway, but it was harder to shrug off than expected.

But there were incidents like with one of the IT guys that just got to Derek. He knew the guy a little better than the others due to all the computer work he was doing recently. During a coffee break the guy started a friendly conversation just to fish for information about him, Stiles and the infamous playroom. He didn't even try to be subtle.

Derek turned on his heel and left him standing there with his mug of coffee but an hour later Derek needed some information from him so he had to go back and pretend that their earlier encounter never happened. Thankfully the guy didn't bring it up again.

Derek tried to keep his stoic mask, as if all that didn't bother him, but it got under his skin and he couldn't just shake it off.

The other thing Derek hadn't anticipated was how much he missed Peter. Not as a person or even as his alpha but as another werewolf. Peter had never been affectionate but as a werewolf he had the same needs as Derek. They never had pack cuddles and watched a movie together with their shoulders touching but there had always been a pat here or a touch there. Never enough to satisfy his wolf part completely but enough for Peter and him to get by.

Now, aside from the occasional handshake, Derek hadn't touched another person in almost two weeks. What made it even worse was the fact that he was living with somebody who was dying to touch him but denied himself even the smallest brush of fingers when they reached for the coffee pot at the same time.

Derek got that Stiles didn't want to make this more uncomfortable for him than it already was with Stiles' arousal and longing almost constantly lingering in the air but it didn't work.

It was driving Derek nuts.

Derek tried to distract himself with work. By now everybody knew that he was Stiles' assistant and they had figured out that if they wanted Stiles to really do something, the best way was to throw it at Derek first. It was a strange combination of interacting with him and ignoring him at the same time.

However, both things made Derek think of the playroom. He had bad experiences with that but it had also helped him before. So when he knew that Stiles was sleeping, he slipped into the room just to have a look around. The atmosphere alone did help to calm him down, to ground him for a moment.

He let his fingers run over the smooth leather of the bench and he wondered what it would feel like to be strapped to it. Stiles had a nice collection of paddles and floggers. And there was even the cane Derek had seen under different circumstances leaning against the wall.

He took one of the floggers out and let the soft leather stripes run through his fingers. He wanted to feel it on his skin, needed to feel anything on his skin, but he didn't dare to try it out on himself. He feared that he wouldn't be able to stop until he had beaten himself into a crying mess and there was no way that Stiles wouldn't hear that.

Derek put the flogger back and hurried out of the room. A scalding shower had to do for now.

Wednesday was the worst. It was Stiles' day off and with that it was Derek's day off as well. Like before they spent the day in the suite and for once every talk about work was forbidden.

Stiles introduced him to his favorite games but it turned out that shooter weren't Derek's thing and in the end they played Mario Kart. According to Stiles "You can never go wrong with Mario Kart".

Derek quite enjoyed the game but his attention was more on Stiles sitting next to him on the couch than on what was happening to his character on the screen.

They were almost touching. Derek wanted to just lean in and let his shoulders bump into Stiles' but every time he made the slightest move in his direction Stiles moved out of the way. Derek wasn't even sure if he noticed what he was doing.

A few times it looked like Stiles wanted to pat his shoulder or grab his hand to take over the controller but every time he caught himself before he made contact and flinched away as if he'd been burned. The one time Derek let on that he'd noticed, Stiles blushed and mumbled a "sorry".

Over the day the waves of arousal had become stronger and Derek got that Stiles didn't want to push that on him. At the same time Derek was dying for just one touch. A hand on his, his leg pressed against Stiles', something. Anything.

Derek used the chance when they waited for their dinner to slip in the bathroom for a quick shower. He stood with his back to the closed bathroom door and tried to calm down.

Derek stripped and stepped in the shower. By running his own hands over his body he could almost convince himself that they were somebody else's. It usually was enough to take off the edge. He closed his eyes and let the water run down his body while he rubbed his own forearms.

It was only when he opened his eyes that he noticed the blood. He dropped his hands with a choked whine, claws retracting and the shallow gashes on his arms already healing. The smell of blood lingered for a moment in the air before the water washed away the last evidence.

Derek lifted his hands and stared at them for a moment. He hadn't even noticed that he'd been slicing himself up. He leaned his forehead against the cool tiles, arms slung tight around his body, shaking.

He felt like he had lived on the brink of starvation for so long, in many ways, but now he got enough sleep and he was always well fed, the only thing he didn't got enough of was this. With his other needs met, this felt even worse. If your stomach is gnarling, you don't care about a human touch.

Derek had fooled himself into believing that his deal with Stiles could work. Couldn't. Not in the long run. He had to go back to Peter.

Derek was ready to admit defeat when something else occurred to him.

Stiles wanted him.

Derek had been ready to have sex with him to pay off his uncle's debt. He could do it for this.

Decision made, Derek shut off the water and grabbed a towel. He didn't bother with his clothes and stormed out of his room with just the towel wrapped around his hips.

By now their dinner had been delivered but Derek couldn't even remember what he had ordered. His eyes were on Stiles who for once was speechless. He just gaped at him when Derek strode towards him.

"What?" He squeezed out before Derek brought their lips together. Too stunned to do anything Stiles just let him but then he caught up and started to kiss him back.

Suddenly there were hands on his bare shoulders and Derek let out a whine. Tears pricked in his eyes and he buried his face in the crook of Stiles' neck.

Stiles took advantage of the new angle and started to kiss along his neck while his hands were roaming over Derek's back. His skin was still damp from the shower which added some friction. Without thinking Derek moved forward until he had Stiles backed off to the wall so he didn't have room to move away. His chest pressed to Stiles' he held him in a tight embrace and Stiles hugged back. He was still kissing Derek and one of his legs had slipped between Derek's but Derek didn't care where this went.

Stiles' lips and hands left burning traces on his skin and Derek was sobbing in relief.

However, Stiles eventually noticed that they weren't on the same page here and with his hands on Derek's shoulders he pushed him back far enough to look him in the eye.

"Derek?"

There was no way to hide the tears but Derek tried anyway.

"Let's move over to your bed." Derek said, his voice hoarse but not in a sexy way. He tried to drag Stiles over to the bedroom but Stiles didn't budge.

"Derek, what's wrong?" He asked, bringing more distance between them. Suddenly Derek felt cold all over and it had nothing to do with the fact that he stood there in only a towel.

"You want me." Derek tried to kiss him again.

"Yeah, but you don't want me." Stiles stated.

"I changed my mind."

"Dude, it's so obvious how much you don't want this, I've no idea where to even start." His voice rose and he pushed himself off the wall to get away from Derek. "You don't owe me. You don't need to do this, you don't need to pay me back. And for sure I don't need a pity fuck from you." The last words hit Derek like a bucket of ice water.

"That's not …" He started but he had no idea what to say. His chest was tight and he couldn't even breathe properly.

How was he supposed to explain this? He didn't understand it himself.

"You're right, it's not." Stiles yelled at him as if that even made sense. "You should probably leave now." Stiles said with false calm, his eyes cold.

The words rushed over him and all Derek could do was to nod numbly. Stiles was kicking him out. He deserved it. He should have gone back to Peter. He was such an idiot.

On wobbly legs he made his way back to his room. His head was swimming and he had just enough time to think "So, this is what a panic attack feels like" before he crashed to his knees on the bathroom floor.

His vision was gray around the edges and he just couldn't breathe. His skin was too tight. He was burning and freezing and he couldn't breathe. He tried to hold on to something, anything, but even his claws didn't find any purchase.

Panic washed over him, drowning him.

Suddenly there were hands on him again.

"Derek, stop!"

* * *

 **A/N** _Derek is touch-starved and tries to feel something by rubbing his hands up and down his arms. When that isn't enough, he starts to use his claws. It's not detailed but there is mention of gashes and blood. In the end he's clawing at himself in blind panic again._


	11. Chapter 11

The first things Derek noticed when he came to were the cold tiles under his naked butt and the heavy scent of blood in the air. But that was forgotten when he noticed the warm body pressed against his back and the hand spread out on his chest and another one cupping his forehead.

For some reason he was sitting between Stiles' spread legs on the bathroom floor. He was naked, he was half-sitting on a towel which did nothing to cover him up, and Stiles was close and Derek had no idea why the other man was holding him like this.

"Just breathe." Stiles said softly in his ear. "In and out, you're doing fine, just in and out."

Derek closed his eyes and just breathed. He let himself drift, trusting Stiles to hold him and to tell him what to do. It was nice. The tightness around his chest eased off but Stiles' hand stayed a firm weight over his heart. Derek sagged farther into the embrace and let out a soft sigh.

"You back with me?" Stiles asked after a moment. Without opening his eyes Derek nodded. He didn't want this to end. He wanted to draw this out for just a little while longer before he had to think again. Before Stiles would let go of him and he would be cold and alone again.

"Think you can stand up?" Stiles asked but didn't move to urge him up.

Derek thought about that for a moment and then nodded.

"Okay, easy." Stiles helped him up. "Just take it easy, you might feel a little dizzy."

He did but he trusted Stiles to steady him. They just stood there for a moment until Derek stopped swaying.

"Take a quick shower." Stiles ordered in a gentle tone. "Just rinse off the blood, I'll get you something to wear."

He didn't let go of Derek until he had confirmed with a nod that he understood and that it was okay for Stiles to leave for a moment. He was back by the time Derek stepped out of the shower with a large, fluffy towel waiting for him. Derek let him drape it over his shoulders but he toweled off by himself and Stiles left to give him some privacy while he got dressed.

By now Derek could think more clearly and everything rushed back to him.

He had tried to seduce Stiles, if jumping somebody like that counted as seducing. He had tried to use Stiles for his own benefit. He was not better than Peter.

Derek had to brace himself on the sink and take a few deep breathes to keep himself from slipping into the next panic attack. He wondered why Stiles had helped him, why he had stayed with him during this, but he had no doubt what would happen once he left his room.

He was tempted to delay the inevitable by packing his bag now instead of later. Stiles would kick him out, he had to, and Derek had no desire to make this more difficult than it already was. The last thing he wanted was for Stiles to call security, namely Isaac, to kick him out of his casino.

Derek stared at the suits and other things in his closet for a moment before he closed it again. He wasn't sure if his new wardrobe was his or not. He should probably just grab his old stuff and be done with it. Instead he opened the door to face Stiles.

"I'm sorry." Derek said when he saw Stiles waiting for him in the living room. "I didn't mean to ..." Lost for words he just stood there. He was wearing a t-shirt so there was no fabric dampening the feeling when he ran his hands over his own arms. It helped to ground him, at least enough to get through this.

"I'm sorry." He repeated. "I'll leave."

He wanted to turn around. Just step into the elevator and leave. He didn't care about his things or how he would get home, he just wanted to get away. Like everything else good in his life he had manage to break this. He was so stupid.

"Derek, wait." Stiles suddenly stood in front of him. "Wait." Gently he eased his hands off his arms and only now Derek noticed the claws. He hadn't broken the skin, this time, but there were angry red lines already fading on his skin.

He closed his eyes with a shaky breath, Stiles hands around his wrists like burning bands.

"We need to talk." Stiles said and guided him over to the nearest couch. Numbly Derek followed him and sat down where Stiles wanted him. Stiles remained standing, looking between the seat next to him on the couch and a chair near by.

Derek wanted him to be close but he didn't know how to tell him that.

However, Stiles seemed to read something in his posture and sat down next to him.

"You scared me." Stiles admitted. He wasn't touching him any longer but he was close. "Can you tell me what happened?"

Derek stared down at his hands dangling between his knees. How could he even start to explain to a human what was natural for a werewolf?

"You don't want to have sex with me." Stiles filled the silence after a moment.

"No." Derek's voice was hoarse.

"But you were willing to do that for ..." He left the sentence hanging for Derek to fill in the blanks. But he couldn't. He couldn't put his feelings in words.

"For something you need?" Stiles tried again.

Derek nodded. Why was Stiles even trying? Why didn't he kick him out already?

Derek didn't understand it so he just sat there and stared at his hands. His fingernails were bluntly human now but there was still dried blood under them.

"Derek, what do you need?" Stiles' hand landed on top of his, covering it with his long fingers. Derek let out a choked noise.

"I ..." He started but broke off. "Werewolves ... we are tactile creatures ... in a pack, we ..." He shook his head. It was useless. He pushed himself off the couch, time to go back to Peter.

Stiles' hand was on his shoulder in an instant and Derek let him push him back to sit on the couch.

"Is it the touch?" He asked and now he was leaning in to him. Stiles pressed his chest against his arm and shoulder while his hand searched for Derek's again. Derek let him lace their fingers together.

"Do you need this?" His other arm sneaked between Derek's back and the couch, drawing him even closer.

Tears pricked in his eyes and all he could do was to jerk his head in a nod.

"Shh, it's okay." Stiles was hugging him with both arms now and Derek just melted into his chest. "It's okay, you can have that. It's okay."

They sat like that for a while.

"Our dinner is cold by now." Stiles finally said. Surprised by the sudden change of topic Derek let out a dry laugh. "How about we order pizza?"

Derek stared at him in disbelief.

"Don't look at me like that, pizza is soul food. It's comfort food for every life crisis."

Stiles didn't let go of him while he ordered the food and they only parted when twenty minutes later the pizza was delivered. The whole time they didn't speak and Derek just bathed in Stiles' touch.

They ate the pizza on the couch with some game show running on the TV and the whole time Stiles' leg stayed pressed against his.

By the time they had finished their meal Derek was ready to forget the whole episode.

"It won't happen again." He promised. By now he was pretty sure that he still had a job and that Stiles would forgive him for trying to molest him. He hadn't even laughed at him for having a panic attack.

"Of course it won't happen again." Stiles said around a piece of garlic bread. "We're going to make sure that it won't happen again."

Now Derek raised a questioning eyebrow at him.

"Dude, you forget that I'm a dom." His whole body flailed with that statement and he almost smacked Derek in the face with the last bit of garlic bread.

Derek's eyebrows went higher. There was something twisting in his stomach, a weird mixture of want and panic.

"Not like that." Stiles corrected himself with a blush. "I mean that I'm good at reading people. Usually. I get caught up in my own head when it comes to you. I should have noticed sooner. I'm sorry."

Derek didn't know what to say so he said nothing and was back to staring at his hands.

"I can give you what you need." Stiles promised and his hand found Derek's again. "In a totally non-sexual, non-BDSM-y way."

"You would do that?" Daring to hope, he glanced over to Stiles.

"Hey, I brought you into this." Stiles reminded him. "I cut you off from your pack. Besides, there is this paragraph in your contract saying that I'll provide you with everything you need."

Derek's stomach dropped. "You don't have to …"

"I want to." Stiles cut in. "I like you and I'm putting you through some tough stuff here, I know that. If I can make your life easier with some simple human contact, c'mon, it's hardly a hardship." He gestured over Derek's body with a smile.

"But you want more." Derek said without looking at him.

"Yes, I do want more." Stiles let out a sigh and dropped back into the couch. "But I can deal with that. You don't have to do me any favors, that's not what I want anyway."

Derek gave him a skeptical look.

"I was in love with Lydia for a long time." He admitted after a moment. "Since third grade, I think. Had a ten year plan to make her realize that I even existed." He shook his head with a fond smile. "I'd been pining after her for years and she never returned my feelings."

"But you're friends now."

"We are." Stiles said. "I grew out of my crush eventually. My point is, I'm an expert in pining from afar. I know you don't want me like that and that's okay. Maybe you'll change your mind at some point, maybe not. Maybe I'll grow out of this crush or maybe not. But I don't want to let that stand in the way of us being friends. I'd like to be your friend."

"I'd like that too." Derek admitted. He never had many friends and he liked Stiles. And he was almost a bit jealous of how open Stiles was with his feeling. How easily he could say that he had a crush on Derek.

Stiles gave him a blinding smile.

"I'll take care of you." He promised. "And if it ever gets this bad again, just tell me before you start slicing yourself up, okay?"

"Okay."

Stiles' hand was back on his shoulder and Derek leaned into the touch.

"How about we start with a massage, then?"

"A what?" Derek's head shot up, he had to be joking.

"A massage." Stiles was already on his feet, dragging Derek off the couch by his wrist. "You must have been touch-starved for weeks now, you have a lot of catching up to do. Nothing better than a massage for that."

Stiles had a point and Derek's back started to itch in anticipation from only thinking about Stiles' long fingers all over him.

"A massage." Derek repeated but he was already on board with the idea. Stiles grinned wildly at him. "Okay, where?"

"A bed would work best." Stiles said. "I'd like to cuddle with you afterwards if that's okay." He's voice trailed off and now Derek felt the urge to comfort him. However, sharing a bed with Stiles felt wrong. Especially after Stiles had so openly admitted that he wanted more from Derek.

"Not your bed." Derek said firmly. "Or mine." That would imply that this was more than just a friendly gesture. It would blur the lines and in the end it would end in disaster, he knew that and he was pretty sure that Stiles knew it as well. If they did this, they needed neutral ground.

His gaze flickered over to the playroom. They had another bed. One that neither of them associated with anything personal.

Stiles followed his gaze.

"That could work."


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N** _Due to work I have to skip the following two updates:_

02.07. Human is Just a Word

06.07. Gambling Debts

 _We'll be back on track after that._

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Derek had never thought that he would enter Stiles' playroom with the intention of actually doing something in there. Okay, they weren't about to do what the room had been set up for but he was about to get almost naked in here with Stiles' hands all over him and that was closer than he would have ever imagined.

"Take off your clothes." Stiles instructed him while he pulled the comforter off the bed. "You can leave your underwear on." He added with a shy smile and an adorable blush.

Derek folded his clothes and put it on a nearby chair and then lay down on his stomach on the middle of the bed. He pillowed his head on his hands and waited for Stiles' next move.

Stiles put a blanked over his legs and then sat down, straddling his thighs.

"Is this okay?" He asked and waited for Derek's nod before he continued. "I have some scentless oil here, I figure you'd like that better than one of the scanted ones."

Derek couldn't help but wonder if Stiles had played with werewolves in here before. Normally humans didn't even consider the sensitive nose of a werewolf.

Stiles put his oily hands on Derek's shoulder blades and just let them rest there for a moment. The knot of anxiety in his stomach melted and Derek let out a sigh. He relaxed into the mattress, trusting Stiles to take care of him.

Once he was sure that Derek was really okay with this, Stiles started to work him over with skilled fingers. He found every knot in his muscles and worked them out with a firm but gentle hand.

Derek couldn't help but groan into the pillow under him but Stiles didn't seem to be bothered by the noises he made. He paid special attention to his neck and shoulders where the tension was the worst but he worked his way up and down Derek's back until Derek felt warm and relaxed all over.

Satisfied with his work, Stiles shifted and slid off Derek's hip to work on his legs. He uncovered one and worked his way down to the toes, tugging at every single one of them, before he moved back up. Finished with one leg, he covered it up with the blanket and started on his other one.

When he was done with his backside Stiles urged him to roll over.

By now Derek was half asleep and he just let Stiles place him whatever way he wanted him. The blanket was back, covering the parts Stiles wasn't working on at the moment, and Derek just drifted in the comfortable place between sleep and being awake while he distantly felt Stiles massaging his arm and hand. Then he moved over to his other arm. Chest and stomach were next and then the front of his legs.

Derek was asleep before Stiles was done with one leg.

When he woke up, he was lying on his side with a warm body spooning him from behind. Stiles had one arm and one leg thrown over him, hugging him close. It should feel weird but it didn't. With a sigh Derek reached for the hand on his chest and holding on to it he drifted back to sleep.

They stayed in bed together until the sun shining through the large windows woke them up in the morning.

"How do you feel?" Stiles nuzzled his neck from behind.

"Good." Derek took a moment to take stock of his body but he felt relaxed and comfortable, his whole body slightly aching from the massage but in a good way. "Thank you."

"No problem." Stiles patted his chest before he propped himself up on one elbow. Derek rolled to his back to have a better look at him.

"From now on we have a cuddle date every Wednesday." Stiles proclaimed.

They were close and this was probably the moment where they should kiss but Stiles didn't lean in to bring their lips together and Derek was grateful for that. He could smell the arousal on Stiles. He smelled like that almost constantly but now it was stronger. However, he didn't act on it just like he had promised.

"We don't need to do this every week." Derek tried to protest but Stiles waved him off.

"I want to do this every week with you." He said. Then there was a glint in his eye. "But you could give me a massage from time to time as well, if you like."

"I'd like that." Derek said and gave in to the urge to bury his nose in Stiles' neck.

Stiles went stiff for a moment but then his hand came down on Derek's head, fingers carding through his hair, holding him in place.

"More werewolf needs?" He asked with light amusement in his voice but he didn't push Derek away.

Derek kept the scenting short and when he backed off, he ducked his head in embarrassment.

"Hey, nothing of that." Stiles' finger was under his chin, lifting his head up to look him in the eye. "You have needs, there's nothing to be ashamed of about that."

Derek swallowed thickly.

"What about your needs?" He asked.

"Like I said, I'm a dom." Stiles smiled at him. "My need is to take care of people."

That wasn't how Derek would describe a dom but he let it be.

Suddenly Stiles started to giggle.

"What?"

"You have any idea what it's going to do to the rumor mill if the maid has to actually make this bed?" He flopped down to his back, shaking with laughter.

"You're impossible."

They parted for separate showers and to get dressed but they met again over breakfast. It was Thursday which meant work and when Stiles went over the schedule with him for the day it seemed like it would be a day just like any other. Which was fine with Derek, he didn't want to make a big deal out of his freak-out yesterday.

There was one thing different, though. Stiles wasn't holding back with touching him any longer. Their fingers brushed when Stiles handed him his coffee, Stiles tapped his arm to get his attention and before they left the suite, he gave Derek an encouraging pat on the shoulder.

It was a bit hesitant at first, Stiles was watching him closely to make sure that Derek was okay with the touches, but after an hour or so, he seemed to have forgotten that there had ever been any boundaries between them.

And people noticed. Derek didn't know what that would do to the rumor mill but he saw the glances thrown at them and heard the whispers behind their back. If Stiles noticed it, Derek couldn't tell, but it didn't stop Stiles from constantly touching him. Even during the meetings when their attention should to be on what they were discussing at the moment, their legs were touching under the table.

The only time they didn't touch was when they retreated to Stiles' office where Stiles worked at his computer at his desk and Derek set up his laptop on the little side table. But that was okay, too. A little break was fine, Derek might die of sensory overload otherwise.

"How do you feel?" Stiles asked over dinner.

"Good." Derek couldn't help the smile on his face. The whole day he had been walking on clouds, he couldn't remember the last time he had felt this content. Stiles smiled back at him.

After dinner they got ready to hit the floor and this time it wasn't so bad for Derek. If he finally got used to the crowd and the noise or if it was because of Stiles' hand constantly brushing against his he couldn't tell and he didn't really care.

On Friday Derek wanted to meet Erica for lunch. He was looking forward to that, she was the closest thing he had to a real friend aside from Stiles now, but on the other hand he wasn't sure what to tell her about his new job. Especially since he intended to ask for her help which meant that she would have to come to the Red. There was no way that she wouldn't sense that something was off with him there. Meeting Isaac would be okay, he treated Derek almost as if they were friends, but Erica would be seen with Derek, there was no way around that. On some level Derek just hoped that she would refuse to help him out, this was kind of illegal, so that he wouldn't have to deal with the consequences.

But first there was another problem. He didn't have a car and he had no idea about the public transportation around here. Only as an afterthought he thought about calling a cab, those were expensive. But he did have money now, he remembered.

When he mentioned calling a cab to Stiles, he just rolled his eyes at him and called Isaac. Derek expected that he would be his driver again but instead the other man walked him through Stiles' personal car pool until he stopped next to a black Camaro.

"If you get a ticket, you pay for it." Isaac said and threw the keys at him. Derek was so surprised he almost didn't catch them.

"You want me to drive this car?" He pointed at the sports car to make clear which car they were talking about.

"Stiles' orders." Isaac shrugged with a smirk. "For as long as you stay, this is your car to use."

Derek just stared at him. He couldn't be serious.

"Man, I've no idea what kind of game Stiles is playing but you really lucked out here." Isaac's grin grew wider. Smirk still firmly in place, he gave Derek a pat on the shoulder and then left him alone with his new car.

Derek stood there, stunned. Partly because of the car but more so because of the casual pat Isaac had given him. Even through his leather jacket he had felt the firm grip Isaac had on his shoulder for a second.

Derek opened his mouth to ask him if Stiles had told him to do things like that but he didn't know how to ask without giving away too much and then Isaac was gone.

Shaking his head Derek turned back to the car. He couldn't help but grin.

At this time of the day, the streets were almost empty and Derek took a little detour on his way to the coffee shop where he wanted to meet Erica.

He got a bit carried away, sue him, he was driving a sports car, so when he brought the car to a halt in front of the coffee shop Erica was already waiting for him.

She did notice the Camaro but her eyes went over it without recognition. He got out of the car and walked over to her. It still took a moment before her eyes settled on him.

"Derek?"

Derek just grinned and took off the sun glasses.

"Okay." She waved at him, taking in his appearance. "I'm dying to hear that story."

They went inside and once they had their drinks and some pastry they took a table in the back. The morning rush was over and only a few tables were occupied so they would have some privacy.

"Spill." Erica demanded before she had even sat down. "Did you win the lottery or something?"

Derek had never talked much about his problems but she knew that he had two jobs aside from the one at Casino Solutions and that money had still been tight. He had been constantly tired and over-worked and his second hand clothes had been hard to miss. Now he was sitting here, well rested and head to toe dressed in new designer clothes.

"I got a new job." He said. Which was true. She didn't need to know how he got said job. "I'm the personal assistant of the owner of the Red Riding Hood." It felt good to say that.

"No way." She shook her head in disbelieve. "Who did you have to sleep with to get that job?"

Derek choked on his coffee, that hit a little close to home.

"Nobody." He assured her but it came out a bit forced. "Anyway, I need your help."


	13. Chapter 13

Of course Erica wanted to help, Derek had never really doubted that. So the next morning Derek picked her up at her place. She could have gotten to the Red just fine on her own, they both knew that, and she just wanted to ride in his car but Derek really wanted to drive said car so he didn't call her out on her flimsy excuses. It was even worth getting up early on a Saturday.

"So." Erica said after a minute in the car. "Stiles Stilinski, owner of the Red Riding Hood, and Derek Hale, minimum wage grinder. You don't even live in the same universe, how did you become his assistant?" He didn't have to look at her to feel the raised eyebrow. "And don't tell me you woke up one morning with the need to hand in an application."

Yesterday he had dodged the question by asking for her help but now he didn't know what to say.

"Peter, my alpha." He finally said. "He made the contact and for some reason Stiles agreed to give me a chance." It was the truth, more or less, and if he was honest, Derek had no clue why Stiles put up with his shit. Only a few days ago Derek had a complete freak-out and Stiles' answer had been a massage and the promise of weekly cuddle dates. Derek didn't really get it but he didn't dare to question it either so he just took what Stiles offered.

Next to him Erica hmmed as if she was sensing that his answer hadn't been entirely honest.

"You'll meet him." Derek tried to stir the conversation in another direction. "Stiles, I mean."

"Looking forward to it." She let him get away with it. "I've never met a casino owner. What is he like?"

At the Red Derek parked the car in its usual spot and then he led Erica to the elevator.

It was still early in the day but this was the weekend and the casino would be buzzing with people in a few hours so by the time they reached the right floor, the elevator was packed. Derek mostly ignored the glances thrown at him and by now he was a common enough sight to be glossed over by most of the staff. However, now Erica was at his side which immediately sparked the interest. Nobody said anything in the vicinity of the elevator but Derek breathed easier when he stepped out of the car.

Derek was kind of glad that Stiles didn't want to feel like he was living in a hotel room with fresh sheets every day in an impersonal room. Stiles wasn't a slob but he liked a lived in feeling in the suit so he let the maids in only once a week. Which was on Mondays so nobody had seen the used bed in the playroom yet. Derek didn't want to know what kind of comments he would get once that was out.

The hallway was less crowded, just the usual people hurrying by, and Derek turned left towards Isaac's office where Stiles and Isaac were waiting for them.

"This area is staff only." Suddenly one of the security guys stood in their way, a forced smile on his face while he looked Erica up and down.

"She's with me." Derek said and tried to shoulder his way past the man. He had a somewhat higher position in security, that much Derek knew about him but he didn't know him well enough to remember his name. Stiles usually avoided this man and Derek got why.

"I think you're overestimating your authority, Mr. Hale." The smile slipped off is face. "I understand why you got the impression but this is not the kind of establishment where you can bring in hookers as you wish."

"Hooker?" Erica cut in.

"I'll escort you outside." He reached for Erica's elbow but she wrenched it out of his grip. If he kept it up, there would be a bloody nose in his near future and Derek wasn't sure if he should intervene or just watch.

"Mr. Stilinski is waiting for us." Derek tried to defuse the situation, usually dropping the big boss' name did the trick.

"He's already growing tired of your service, Mr. Hale?" He asked smugly but then he narrowed his eyes on Erica again. "Anyway, I wasn't informed of any more … guests. I have to ask you to leave, Miss."

"I don't know what you're trying to compensate here, buddy." Erica's voice was hard as steel. "But like Derek said, Mr. Stilinski is waiting for us."

"I'm sure of that." His eyes raked up and down her body and Derek really didn't want to know what he was thinking.

Derek used the chance to phone Stiles.

"We're in the building." He said when Stiles picked up. "But one of your goons is trying to kick Erica out."

It took the man a second to realize who Derek was speaking with and when a moment later Derek tried to hand him his phone he just stared at it.

"Mr. Stilinski wants to talk to you." Derek said just because. Knowing that he didn't have any other choice the man finally took the phone.

"Mr. Stilinski?" All the smugness was gone from his voice. "Harris speaking."

There were a few yes-sirs and no-sirs and of-course-sirs and when Harris handed the phone back to Derek he didn't look him in the eye.

"Apparently that's how Mr. Stilinski wants to run this casino now." He said with a disgusted look at both of them before he hurried off.

"Is there a reason why he thinks that I'm a hooker?" Erica asked once they were alone.

"No." Derek ushered her farther down the hallway. She gave him a skeptical look but didn't push the issue.

At Isaac's office, Derek knocked but didn't wait for a response before he opened the door.

Isaac was sitting behind his desk, looking professional, while Stiles was in one of the armchairs in front of his desk. He didn't look professional at all. He had loosened his red tie and his jacket was lying on the other chair while he was lounging in his chair, playing on his phone.

He did sit up straighter when they entered the room, though.

"Harris gave you a hard time?" He asked and didn't bother to hide his grin. Derek just glared at him.

"Miss Reyes?" Isaac intervened before Stiles could ask what exactly Harris had been harassing them about for which Derek was grateful. There were things Erica didn't need to know.

"I'm Isaac Lahey." Isaac introduced himself. "Head of security, I assure you, you won't be bothered like that again."

"Good." She accepted his hand for a firm shake. "I don't like being called a hooker." She gave him a feral smile, one that would suit a werewolf, if Derek was honest. But Erica was terrifying enough as a human, no need to enhance that.

"Of course not, Miss Reyes." Stiles assured her. "I'm Stiles. Derek told me a lot about you."

"I doubt that." Erica called him out on his lie but with a knowing wink at Derek. "I still wonder why Derek willingly chose a job where he has to actually talk to people."

Now Derek directed his glare at her and tried to ignore the snorts coming from Stiles and Isaac.

"But I get that you have a problem with your system?" Erica glossed over the moment and Derek wanted to hug her for that.

Five minutes later Derek and Erica had conquered Isaac's seat and computer with Derek's and Erica's laptops taking over the rest of the desk. It took almost an hour to set everything up and for Erica to get familiar with the system and what Derek had uncovered so far. Isaac assisted as much as he could but most of the time he just tried to not stand in the way.

Stiles didn't even try to help, he went straight back to his phone. Derek had the suspicion that he was watching Erica and he wondered what his boss thought of her.

At some point mugs of coffee showed up on the desk, probably provided by Stiles but Derek was too busy to actually register his mug before it had cooled down. When he did look up, Stiles was gone. He had other things to do than to watch them work, especially on the weekend. If that meant that Erica had passed some kind of trust test, he wasn't sure, though.

What Erica was doing once she got a feeling for the system was beyond Derek but that was kind of the point of having Erica here.

"I think whoever placed this thing has abandoned it." She finally said.

Isaac had taken over Stiles place in front of the desk and was busy with his phone but now he perked up with interest.

"What makes you think that?" He came around the desk to have a look at the screens.

"Well." She drew out the word. "I can't tell you who placed it there but it was an intern job a little over two years ago. As far as I can tell, it hasn't been touched since."

At intern job Derek was thinking of Andrew. Had it been him or was there somebody else they needed to look out for?

"Whoever installed this." Erica continued. "He left a backdoor open to have access from the outside. I tried to backtrack it but I hit a dead end and it has been dead for a while now. As far as I can tell, the program is sending data but it's going nowhere."

"What kind of data?" Isaac asked.

Derek on the other hand was more concerned about why somebody would go through the trouble of installing this thing from the inside just to abandon it. They hadn't even known about it a week ago but if Erica was right, and he didn't doubt her, the connection had been cut before that.

"It's encrypted." Erica shrugged "I need more time to decipher it. We're not dealing with an amateur here."

"Can you delete it?" Isaac asked. Derek hadn't dared to touch it but Erica knew more about this.

"And close the back door." Derek added.

"Oh, boys. I can do so much more than that." Erica cooed at them. "There is no such thing as one-hundred percent but I can make it really hard for Mr. X to get back into your system."

Isaac had to get back to Stiles to authorize something like this but Derek wasn't surprised when Stiles just asked how long she would need and if she accepted cash. He probably didn't want this to appear in the books. His only condition was that Derek had to supervise her.

Done for today Erica started to pack her things, idly chatting with Isaac. Derek kept his head low to hide his smile over how well they hit it off.

When there was a knock at the door, Derek expected Stiles to be back but it was Boyd who entered the room.

"Miss Reyes?" He asked and held his hand out for a shake. "Vernon Boyd, Stiles informed me that you're going to do some off the book freelancing for us."

That was one way to put it.

"There are a few things you have to sign, please." He gave her a smile which she returned with a hint of something that spoke directly to Derek's werewolf part. It recognized a fellow predator.

Boyd's stoic expression wavered for a second but then he was back to his professional self.

"First of all you have to sign a non-disclosure agreement" Boyd gave her the same speech he had given Derek not long ago. Erica nodded and then signed the form. Her fingers lingered on Boyd's longer than necessary to hand the pen back and Boyd hurried to lower his eyes.

"Officially you'll be a visitor, this is your pass." He handed a card over. "You still need Derek or Isaac to get anywhere important but with this you'll be able to get in the building and nobody should bother you any more."

"Thank you." She clipped the pass to her top and Boyd had no choice but to notice her cleavage now. Derek had to turn away and cover his mouth but when he met Isaac's gaze, they shared a knowing smile. Isaac didn't know Erica but it was obvious what was going on here.

"Anything else I can help you with?" Boyd gathered his papers, almost desperately not looking at her.

"Yes, your phone number."


	14. Chapter 14

Shit hit the fan on Monday.

Maybe he was exaggerating, it wasn't like they got robbed or anything like that. However, Derek could tell the exact moment the maid found the used playroom. He wasn't in the suite at that moment so he couldn't be sure but in his mind she was informing the whole building before she even started to clean the room. Probably took pictures, too.

People had gotten used to him being around and a lot of the people he worked with saw him more as Stiles' assistant in the office than as his assistant in bed. Sure the rumors were still around but they had gotten kind of old.

Now there was new stuff to talk about and boy did they talk.

Derek and Stiles came out of a meeting, still talking quietly about toilet paper. Derek had never thought that he would ever attend a heated discussion about toilet paper but his life was weird like that now. Apparently guest were stealing rolls from the rooms, among other things, and there had been more than one raided maintenance cart. It sounded ridiculous and Derek had to stifle a laugh until he realized that the head of maintenance was not kidding. She glared at him and pointed out how much the casino lost each month because of theft.

"Things like that are already in the calculation." Stiles waved it off while Derek still tried to wrap his head around the idea that people were stealing toilet paper in bulk. Before he had met Stiles he had been poor and there had been days when he had stolen food from his workplace because he didn't have a single cent in his pocket. But it had never occurred to him to steal stuff like that. And the people staying at the Red weren't poor. They had enough money for a trip to Vegas, a room in a middle priced casino hotel and they had enough to lose on the roulette tables. For sure they had enough to buy toilet paper.

"People are getting more and more brash." She said with a look as if that was Stiles' personal fault. "By now we're running seriously low at the end of the month."

Stiles promised to check the numbers and Derek knew Stiles wouldn't be the one actually doing it. That would be Derek's job.

So when they left the meeting they were still discussing if they should switch to a cheaper brand to cut the costs but Stiles was reluctant to lower his standards.

"Stiles, it's toilet paper." Derek was already losing his patience. Why were they even discussing this?

"Exactly, it's a very intimate and personal experience." Stiles nodded and Derek had to stay a step behind him to not get hit by accident when he started to talk with his hands again. It was kind of adorable. "You know what people remember about a trip to Vegas?"

"The money they lost?"

"The good time they had." Stiles talked over his words. "And scratchy toilet paper is no fun."

"If you say so." Derek said with a smile. He would never admit it but this banter with Stiles was kind of fun.

But then something snapped him out of it.

"You think Stiles ties him up?" He heard a woman's voice but it took him a moment to pinpoint where it was coming from.

"He's a werewolf, ropes can't hold him." A second voice answered and now Derek noticed the two woman in one of the offices. Through the open door they had a good look at everybody coming down the hallway.

"He would look pretty in rope and nothing else, though." She sounded almost dreamy. "And he has to do whatever Stiles wants him to do."

By now Derek was openly glaring at them and they had to know that he had heard every single word but they both just smiled at him in a way that made him feel uneasy in the stomach.

Stiles was still talking about the good time he wanted his guests to have in his hotel, with his human ears he had missed the conversation and there was not point in bringing it to his attention.

Derek just turned his eyes forward and tried to ignore the hungry looks the women were sending his way. This was just like in his first days here, it would die down soon.

He breathed easier when they had passed the office.

"Nice ass." One of the women said after him.

"For a whore." The other one added.

And that was only the beginning. The open stares and not so discreet whispers were back full force.

Apparently his "grace period was over" and Stiles was "trashing his ass for real now". There were one or two Mr. Grey comments again and people oversharing their fantasies of what they would do if they had him in the playroom.

"I guess the maid has found the playroom." Stiles commented when they finally took refuge in his office.

"About two hours ago." Derek grumbled. Most of it was directed at him, he was the one taking the brunt of the abuse. One man had even pinched his ass and when Derek had snapped at him, he had laughed it off.

With his human senses Stiles missed most of the stuff going on around him.

"Are you okay?" Stiles had a concerned eye on him.

"I'm fine, Stiles." Derek gave him a smile but it felt fake. "It will die down soon." He had been telling himself that for the last two hours. He didn't even know why it was getting to him like this. He should just be able to stand above it and let them talk. What did he care if they thought that Stiles was pounding his ass in kinky ways every night?

Instead of taking his seat behind his desk, Stiles came over to the little lounge area where Derek usually set up his workplace. He sat down on the couch and motioned for Derek to join him.

Derek left some space between them which Stiles closed before Derek's butt even hit the couch. He had a hand on the nape of his neck a second later, gently massaging the tension out of the tight muscles.

They didn't talk, they hadn't talked about this since last Wednesday. Stiles just did things like this now and Derek found himself relaxing into the touch.

"We can call the whole thing off." Stiles finally offered and Derek went still. "The rumor thing, I mean." Stiles hurried to ad. "I want to keep you as my assistant, I've no idea how I managed before you came along."

"Me neither." Derek breathed out a laugh and relaxed again. Stiles wasn't kicking him out. "But it's fine."

He could live with a few comments. Calling this off would mean to go back to Peter. Or a least to give him all the money Derek was making now and he wasn't quite ready to face his alpha again. And who knew what kind of ideas Peter had gotten from this.

For Stiles this thing was paying off slowly as well. The atmosphere around him had changed. The Executive Board was still not on Stiles' side but there had been a shift in their behavior since the first meeting Derek had attended. Also negotiations now went down with an air of, Derek didn't know, Godfather? For sure Stiles wasn't Corleone but people glanced at Derek at Stiles side and something just shifted. He couldn't quite put his finger on it but he didn't want to ruin that for Stiles. If people knew that this was just one big charade, nobody would take him serious ever again.

So yeah, Derek could live with the rumors.

Who did throw him off, however, was Isaac.

They were preparing some things for Erica in the solitude of Isaac's office, this was nothing the other IT guys needed to know about, and the whole time Isaac was watching him out of the corner of his eye. It looked like he was working up to ask something, he even opened his mouth a few times but shied back at the last moment every time.

"Just spit it out." Derek finally snapped. Usually they got along pretty well but this was just unnerving.

Caught Isaac pretended to be busy with his computer but gave up after a moment.

"You know that it is my job to know who comes and goes." He finally said. "Especially when it comes to sensitive areas like Stiles' suite."

Derek didn't know where this was heading, he hadn't sneaked in somebody and for sure he hadn't sneaked out. Not that he could sneak out, he was free to come and go whenever he pleases but over the last few days he'd been so occupied with work that he hadn't even seen sunlight.

Derek decided to wait until Isaac got to the point.

"I know that Stiles hasn't been out and he hasn't brought home somebody." He continued without looking Derek in the eye. "And I know that there hasn't been any visitors."

Now it dawned on Derek where this was heading but he stayed silent to see if Isaac would really go there. He hoped not.

"I know it's none of my business what you two do." He shifted in his seat, still not looking in Derek's direction. "But given the circumstances …" He made a helpless gesture.

His first instinct was to just tell him that he was right, this was none of his business but then Derek remembered the cold shoulder Isaac had given Stiles in the beginning and Stiles remark that it hit close to home for Isaac.

"You're talking about the playroom." Derek gave in. The news were all over the casino of course Isaac had heard them as well.

Isaac glanced up at him. There was a haunted look in his eyes and Derek wondered what exactly Stiles had meant with that close to home comment. Had Isaac been in his position? Derek had really lucked out with Stiles, the whole deal could have gone so much worse.

Isaac knew Stiles, he knew what kind of man he was, they had been friends since their school days and still there was this second guessing.

He could make up a lie. He could tell Isaac that Stiles had used the room for some time alone. But with the promised cuddle dates, Isaac would be back to doubting next week.

Derek made a decision.

"Can you keep a secret?" He asked. Technically Stiles could fire him for this, even sue him if he wanted to, but he couldn't stand that look on Isaac's face any longer. Stiles would understand. He hoped.

"Of course." Isaac nodded and his heart beat steady in his chest.

Derek told him about the deal. He told him how he had paid off his uncle's debt by listening to Stiles' offer and how they had come to their arrangement.

"That bastard." Isaac said with an impressed nod. "But that's Stiles."

"You understand that you can't tell anybody about this, right?" Derek stressed the point. "This won't work if everybody knows what's going on."

"Don't worry, I can keep a secret." The relief was written all over him now. The whole idea was such a Stiles thing that it was way more believable than what the rumors suggested and seeing Isaac at ease like this told Derek that it had been the right decision to clue him in.

"But that still doesn't explain the playroom." He narrowed his eyes on Derek.

Now it was Derek's turn to squirm under the gaze. His shoes were suddenly very interesting.

"Derek?" The concern was back in Isaac's voice.

"He gave me a massage in that bed." He finally admitted.

"Why is he giving you massages?" Isaac gaped at him. "You do know that we have a spa. We have some excellent masseurs in our staff."

"I know." Derek cleared his throat. The spa hadn't even crossed his mind but thinking about it, it would be too impersonal. It was a human touch, yes, but it wasn't enough.

"It's a … it's a werewolf thing, all right?" He snapped, cheeks hot with embarrassment. "We need touch and closeness and Stiles offered." He would not admit that there were cuddles involved. Or that he was looking forward to Wednesday for more.

Isaac just stared at him for a long moment. Then he threw his head back an laughed.


	15. Chapter 15

For a moment Derek was considering not telling Stiles that he had told Isaac. But he decided against it almost immediately.

So Tuesday evening when they sat together over dinner, Derek casually said: "Isaac heard about the playroom."

"What did he say?" Stiles asked around a half-chewed bit of steak. It was the middle of the week and they were having steak. Derek still had trouble wrapping his head around the idea that they just picked up the phone and ordered whatever the hell they wanted from the hotel itself or from one of the many restaurants in the casino. And since Stiles was the owner, everybody delivered and usually they put in a little extra just because.

To his surprise Stiles tipped generously and he knew most of the people delivering the food by name. Derek had worked in the food business and in his experience the richer the guest, the smaller the tip. But not Stiles.

"He was worried." Derek said after he had swallowed his bite. "I told him about our deal."

Stiles paused, his fork stilling in mid-air.

"I hope that was okay." Derek added and put his knife down. "He was thinking the worst."

Something like guilt flashed over Stiles' face.

"He won't tell anybody." Derek assured him.

"I know." The fork found its way to his mouth and he was chewing again. "I probably should have told him myself."

"Did …" Derek started the question but wasn't sure if he should ask. "Did something happen to him?"

"More like someone." Stiles let out a sigh. "But that's in the past. If he wants you to know he will tell you."

Derek understood that. He wasn't keen on sharing his past either and he wouldn't want people gossiping about it behind his back.

They finished their meal and then got ready to hit the floor. This was Stiles' favorite part of the day, he loved mingling with the crowd, but for Derek it was his least favorite part of the job. Only partly because of the crowd and the noise, he had gotten used to that, to a degree, but it was also a way for Stiles to show him off. He didn't know how many of the guests had heard the rumors but it felt like everybody was looking at him.

Stiles made sure that they stayed close and that their hands brushed occasionally but that only made it slightly better.

"Stiles." A woman with long brown hair and a fake smile made her way over towards them and greeted Stiles with an enthusiastic handshake and a half-hug. Derek almost expected air-kisses left and right but she didn't go that far. He didn't know her but for certain she was one of the sharks in this city. When she was close enough Derek noticed the scent of werewolf on her but he was sure that she was human. But there were two werewolves following her.

"Jennifer." Stiles greeted her in the same fake way. "What brings you to my little place?"

"Just a friendly visit." Her eyes fell on Derek. "And who's this lovely young man?"

"This is my personal assistant Derek Hale." Stiles introduced him. "Derek, this is Jennifer Blake."

Derek had never met her but he knew her by name. Kali's girlfriend and owner of the Alpha Pack, together they basically ruled Vegas. At least from a werewolf point of view.

"Hale?" She asked as if she didn't already know. "Of course, I heard that Peter has been in some kind of … financial predicament." Her eyes now raked hungrily up and down his body. "I'd say you made a good deal here, Stiles."

"I'm quite satisfied." He gave her a lascivious smile.

They chatted on for a little while before she said her goodbye and left. The two werewolves who had hung back but had kept a wary eye on the people around, especially Derek, followed her back out.

"Well, that rumor thing works." Stiles said once the wolves were out of earshot.

"Question is." Derek followed Stiles over to the poker tables. "Is it working the way you want it to?"

"She has never before bothered to come here in person." Stiles grinned and looked very proud of himself. "Usually Ennis is her errand boy if she wants something and I'm pretty sure her pack members working here are taking some liberties when it comes to the non-disclosure agreement they have signed."

Stiles needed werewolves working the floor and Kali's pack was the only one around who delivered that kind of service so there was nothing Stiles could do about that.

They made it back to the suite in the wee hours of the morning and Derek was dead on his feet. It was not as bad as it had been when he had been working three jobs but he was still looking forward to sleeping in the next morning.

Tomorrow was Wednesday and there was the promised cuddle date with Stiles but Derek wasn't sure what Stiles had in mind for the day.

Stiles hadn't even mentioned that they would do anything other than hang out like they had the weeks before so Derek wasn't even sure if he remembered his promise. Maybe he had forgotten about it.

If so, Derek wouldn't mention it either. It wasn't that big of a deal anyway. Over the last week Stiles had made sure to touch him on every occasion and by now Derek felt more than content.

 _If it's not a big deal, why are you thinking about it so much, then?_ , the voice in the back of his mind asked but Derek ignored it. Instead he tied off his shoes and shuffled over to the bathroom to brush his teeth.

He was in the middle of mechanically moving the toothbrush around in his mouth when Stiles suddenly wandered into his bathroom, his own foamy toothbrush in his mouth.

"Don't get dressed tomorrow." He said with foam running down his chin. "We're going to stay in our pajamas all day." With that he turned around and walked back out. There was a faint "Good night" and then Derek just stood there, wondering if that had just really happened. He decided that he was too tired for this and rinsed his mouth.

He was asleep a minute later and when he woke up late in the morning the next day he didn't bother with getting dressed.

When he noticed the baggy t-shirt and sweats Derek had slept in, Stiles greeted him with a wide grin. He was dressed in a similar way but his pants were actually pajama pants. Iron Man pajama pants to be exact.

Wednesday was the one day they had off and Derek liked the lazy breakfasts. It was past one in the afternoon when the room service took away the dishes and Derek and Stiles moved over to the living room area.

Stiles jumped on the couch and then stayed where he had landed, sprawled out over the whole thing.

Derek could only shake his head.

"What do you want to do?" Stiles squinted up at him. "I'd say cartoons but it might be a bit late for that. But we could watch a movie or I can show you a few more games, trust me you haven't even seen the tip of that iceberg." He paused, thinking. "Or we could just sit together while we do our own thing, that's cool too."

Instead of an answer Derek nudged at his legs until Stiles lifted them enough for him to slip under. Then he sat there with Stiles' feet in his lap.

"You haven't thought this through." Stiles protested. "If we don't want to just sit here and talk for the next few hours and don't tempt me, I'm fully capable of doing just that, at least one of us has to get up eventually to set up whatever we decide to do with the day. And I'm telling you now, that someone is not going to be ... meee?" The last word turned into a questioning noise when Derek took Stiles' right foot in his hands and ran his thumb over his sole from the heel to the base of his toes.

"What are you doing?" Stiles asked but Derek just shifted to get a better angle and then he started to massage the foot for real. Stiles let his head drop back with a content groan. "You know what? I don't care what you're doing, just don't stop."

By the time Derek moved on to the left foot Stiles was a boneless puddle on the couch. Which didn't stop him from commenting on the massage, though.

"We won't have a Tarantino discussion about foot massages later, right?" He mumbled but let out another groan when Derek's thumb found a tender spot.

After the massage Derek let his arms rest on Stiles' legs while he waited for the other man to come around.

"I'm not going to get up ever again." Stiles opened his eyes after a minute but didn't move otherwise.

Warmth filled Derek's stomach and he was more than okay with just staying like this for a little while longer.

"You do know that this was supposed to be about you feeling good." Stiles finally said.

"I am feeling good." And he did. Even the tension from the last few days was gone. Today he didn't care what was going on out there, what people were thinking of him. Today he just wanted to sit here with Stiles and feel good.

Eventually they put in a movie and didn't really move off the couch. Like always Stiles couldn't keep his thoughts to himself and Derek found himself adding his two cents now and then as well.

The rest of the day went by in a lazy manner and for dinner they had pizza and beer which they also had on the couch with some cop show running on TV. They had basically lived on that couch in their pajamas the whole day and Derek didn't feel one bit guilty about it.

After dinner Stiles got out a game of Trivial Pursuit which kept them up till almost midnight.

When it was time for bed they went to their separate rooms to get ready for the night but then they met again in the playroom.

"Let's find out if I can top that foot rub." Stiles wiggled his fingers but Derek just rolled his eyes at him.

"I'm good, you don't have to." He said but his back was itching at the thought of Stiles' skillful fingers all over him. The anticipation was even worse this time since he knew that Stiles could actually back up his big words.

Thankfully Stiles had nothing of that. "Just get your clothes off and lay down already."

Stiles went to work the same way as last week with covering Derek's butt and legs with a blanket before he sat down on his hip. Then he warmed the scentless oil in his hands and started to knead the tension out of his muscles.

Derek was asleep before Stiles was done with his backside.

He woke up to a dim room with Stiles spooning him from behind. He needed a moment to sort out where he was, the playroom after their cuddle date, and what had woken him up. The latter was his bladder but he refused to do something about it for a moment longer in the faint hope that he could just go back to sleep. Which of course didn't happen.

The moon was bright enough to make out the furniture in the room and Derek didn't need any light to slip out of the bed and out of the room. He relieved himself in his bathroom and then he wondered if he should go back to Stiles or sleep in his bed for the rest of the night.

He had one look at his made and cold bed before he went back to the playroom.

With Stiles still sleeping Derek let himself get distracted for a moment. The moonlight bathed the room in an eery light with the dark furniture standing in stark contrast to the light walls.

The bench caught his eye and he let his fingers longingly brush over the cool leather. Want washed over him and for a moment he was choking on emotions.

In the back of his mind her heard her voice but Stiles was not her. Stiles could make this good.

"You know." Stiles suddenly spoke up from where he was still lying in the bed. "That doesn't have to be sexual either."


	16. Chapter 16

"You know." Stiles suddenly spoke up from where he was still lying in the bed. "That doesn't have to be sexual either."

Derek swirled around but it was too late to pretend that he hadn't been lusting over the spanking bench.

"Or it can include sex but it doesn't have to mean anything outside of a scene." Stiles continued, now propped up on one elbow. "That's the beauty of BDSM, it can be whatever you want it to be."

"No, that's not …" Derek shook his head, not sure what to say. That was what he had with her, they had scenes with sex and everything but outside of that she had pretended to not even know him.

"Come back to bed." Stiles lifted the corner of the blanket for Derek to slip in. He was shivering but not really because it was chilly in the room and he was only wearing his boxers.

Derek slid in next to Stiles and then didn't know where to put his hands.

"Have you scened before?" Stiles asked gently and took his hand in his.

"Yes." Derek licked his lips. "I had a …" He didn't know how to describe her. For sure she hadn't been his girlfriend. "I was her sub."

"Did you like it?" His tone was neutral and Derek didn't dare to look at him to find out what kind of expression he was showing. Given that they were in his playroom he was probably not judging but Derek didn't want to take that risk.

"It was good." He said, ignoring her voice in the back of his mind. "Sometimes."

"Is it something you want?" Stiles asked farther still with that neutral tone.

Derek thought about it for a moment. Was it something he wanted? Was it something he wanted with Stiles? With her it hadn't really worked out, he hadn't been what she wanted after all, he had messed up too often. But maybe Stiles would have more patience with him? Maybe he could show him how to be better at this?

"Yes." He finally said, his mind still swirling with the what-ifs.

"We can give it a try." Stiles said, his hand still firmly in Derek's and now he gave it an encouraging squeeze. "Or I can introduce you to …"

"You." Derek interrupted him before he could finish the offer. "Only you."

He trusted Stiles. He was the only one Derek trusted enough for this.

"Okay." There was relief in his voice. "We can talk about the details tomorrow." He snuggled closer until his head rested on Derek's shoulder but he was still holding his hand.

"What is there to talk about?" Derek frowned. He had just agreed to being Stiles' sub. "You're the dom, I'm the sub. I do what you say and if I can't take it anymore I use my safe-word." He paused, shame burning in his cheeks. "But don't worry." He hurried to add. "I can take a beating and I heal, I won't ruin a scene by safe-wording."

"Whoa." Stiles shot up and was now looming over on him. "Dude, there is so much wrong with what you just said, I've no idea where to even start."

And of course he had ruined it before it had even started.

"I'm sorry." Derek ducked his head, not sure if he should get out of the bed now.

A hand on his chest stopped him from that, though.

"Hey, it's okay." Stiles soothed him. "Please stay."

Derek relaxed under his touch but he had still no idea what he had done wrong. At least Stiles didn't get angry. She would have called him stupid for not getting it.

"It's just." Stiles let out a breath. "I think whoever has been your dom before was really shitty at their job."

"What do you mean?" Something deep in him stirred. When he had started that thing with her, he had doubts but she had laughed it off and had just pointed out that he was new to this and she was the experienced one and if he thought that he knew better?

He had buried those doubts and worries but now they started to tuck at his mind again.

"For one, you don't ruin a scene by safe-wording." Stiles started and for a moment it looked like he was trying to hold back the words but he was fighting a losing battle from the start. "You don't beat somebody until he can't take it anymore and that you can heal is no excuse. Humans heal too it just takes us longer. It doesn't mean that you can inflict damage like that just because it's gone in a few minutes. And you don't have to struggle through crap just because sometimes it ends up to be good. If it's not good for the sub, if it's not good for both parties, something is wrong."

He paused and lowered himself to a more comfortable position.

"Have you ever heard the phrase safe, sane and consensual?"

He hadn't.

"It's the foundation of this lifestyle." Stiles said, his head back on Derek's shoulder. "If one of those three is missing, it's not BDSM anymore, it's abuse and rape, plain and simple."

Stiles probably knew what those words would do to Derek because he just hugged him closer and held him while Derek's mind was swirling.

She hadn't done that to him, right? He had liked what they did. Sometimes he hadn't liked it but that was the point of being a sub. To please his dom, to do what she asked of him to do no matter what. Sometimes you just have to power through.

Derek didn't find his way back to sleep that night but he lay comfortable in Stiles' arms while in his mind he went through everything she had ever said or done to him.

When it was late enough in the morning to get up, Derek slipped out of the bed. He was pretty sure that Stiles was awake enough to notice but he didn't try to hold him back.

Derek took a long shower and then dressed for the day. It was Thursday which meant work. Erica wanted to come by later and there were still things on Stiles' schedule he needed to take care off. Like counting rolls of toilet paper.

He made a face at himself in the mirror.

In broad daylight last night seemed surreal and for a moment he wasn't sure if it hadn't just been a weird dream.

It was still early in the morning, way earlier than they usually got up, but when Derek stepped out of his bedroom, Stiles was sitting at the table with coffee and their usual breakfast waiting for them.

"Morning." Stiles greeted him and poured him a cup which Derek took gratefully. After last night he would need all the coffee to get through the day.

They started to eat and Derek was hoping that Stiles would just not mention it. No such luck, though.

"I meant it." He said around a mouth full with pancakes. "I can dom you if you want."

Derek bought himself some time by putting a fork of scrambled eggs in his mouth and washing them down with a sip of coffee. He wanted to. He really did. He was just not sure if it was a good idea. But so far Stiles had been more understanding than she had ever been. Stiles understood him.

"I'd like that." His cheeks were burning and he kept his eyes fixed on his plate. Stiles should be the last person he felt ashamed to tell but admitting that he wanted this? It was hard.

"Great." Stiles gave him a broad grin. "But I'm telling you now, we're not going to do anything until we've talked about this and have cleared up some things."

"Now?" Derek asked and he hated himself for how dreadful he sounded.

"No." Stiles shook his head. "I have some things to prepare first. But tomorrow over breakfast?"

Derek had no idea what there was to prepare but he nodded numbly.

He made it through the day in a constant state of anticipation, dread and just feeling sick in the stomach.

Stiles seemed to sense that he needed time to think and drowned him in paperwork that bound him to his laptop most of the day.

"Nothing urgent." Stiles assured him when Derek gave him a questioning eyebrow. "Just see what you can get done today." Which in the end wasn't much but that was kind of the point.

Erica pulled him out of his thoughts for a little while and he was grateful for the distraction. He even teased Boyd when he just happened to join them when Erica was ready to leave. She asked him if he had dinner and then they were off to a date.

"He has it bad." Isaac laughed once they had left. They packed up in comfortable silence and for a moment Derek considered asking him for advice. By now Derek counted him as a friend and Isaac knew about the playroom but in the end Derek didn't say a word.

"What is all this?" Derek asked the next morning when he joined Stiles for breakfast. The table looked almost like back when Stiles had spent half the night putting together their contract.

"It's about what we talked about yesterday." Stiles looked up at him, a pen between his teeth. "If you're still interested."

Derek took a deep breath.

"I am." He answered. He hadn't slept much last night, his mind filled with ideas of what Stiles would do with him. By now he didn't want it, he needed it.

Stiles pushed a few sheets of paper in his direction.

Derek spared them only a glance for now, maybe he was stalling but he needed some coffee first. As far as he could tell it was some kind of survey. About his kinks?

"So what is this?" He flipped through the pages. "You're the dom, it's your decision what we do."

"Partly." Stiles drew in a breath and Derek knew this would be the talking part. "First we have to set up the sandbox. It's like the framework of what we're going to do. I'd say we stick to Wednesdays but we have to figure out if this is going to be a one scene only kind of thing or if we want to take it out of the playroom and make it a whole day kind of thing. Or something in between." He shrugged, waiting for Derek's reaction.

"Okay." That was something he had with her as well. A clear definition of their arrangement. She called, he want over, they had a scene, he left. "And this?" He tapped the survey.

"That's our box of toys." Stiles explained. "I took out everything sexual."

Derek breathed easier at that. He wasn't ready to add sex to the mix but he really wanted the rest. He had just never thought that he could have one without the other.

"So basically we're both going through the box of toys." Stiles gestured at the list. "And put them in the sandbox. In the middle we put our favorites, in one corner we pile the toys we would like to try out and in another corner we put the things we don't really care about but wouldn't mind playing with if the other one is interested. And next to the sandbox is a trashcan for the nope stuff."

"You really like that metaphor, don't you?"

Stiles grinned at him.

"Anyway." He continued. "Once we're done with our lists, and please be honest there, no judging I swear, we compare them."

"What if they don't match?" He asked before his mind caught up with how silly the question was. Of course the dom's choice trumped the sub's.

"Let's say you put the blue shovel in the nope trashcan but I put it in the sandbox as one of my favorites." Stiles really did like the metaphor but Derek was too busy bracing himself for the answer he knew was coming to actually care. "It goes into the trashcan."

"But ..." Derek started but Stiles interrupted him.

"It doesn't matter if it's my favorite. If one of us puts something in the trashcan, we won't do it." Stiles said as if he knew exactly what was going on in Derek's head.

Derek swallowed thickly. "Okay."

"And after that, when we know how big the sandbox is going to be and which toys we're going to play with." Stiles tapped the papers on the table. "Then it's my turn to decide if we're going to build a sandcastle or bake mud-cakes."


	17. Chapter 17

Derek had a look at the papers Stiles had given him. Like Stiles had said, he had cut out everything sexual of the survey but the rest still filled several pages.

Impact play alone took up more than half a page. Seriously, how many different ways to hit a person were there? And apparently there was a wolfsbane lotion that would make the sensation last? Yes, please.

Derek licked his lips and glanced over to Stiles. Did he notice how enthusiastic he was? But Stiles was busy with his own list of kinks. He ticked off the boxes quickly without thinking too much about it, once again proving how sure and comfortable he was with this.

With the sexual stuff off the list Derek hadn't expected to see much except for the impact play, though.

But there was more, a lot more.

 _Bondage and Restrains_ was the title of the next section. It had a whole page for itself. Ropes, chains, cuffs, all with a mountain ash option so it would be truly impossible for him to break free. He didn't really know what Stiles would do with him once he was restrained, usually that was when the fucking would start, but the thought of being at Stiles' mercy like that did something to him. Derek said yes to the restrains and maybe to the mountain ash.

Collars went into the nope trashcan, like Stiles had phrased it. Same with leashes. Gags and blindfolds got a big yes.

Derek worked his way through the list and by now he felt kind of confident with this but then he came to the section that took things out of the playroom.

Stiles had said that they could make it a whole day thing but was it something he wanted? Derek glanced over to Stiles in hope to figure out what he was thinking.

"Stop thinking too much." Stiles said without lifting his eyes from the paper. "There is no right or wrong in this."

Derek nodded and went back to the tricky section. He wasn't interested in doing chores around the house so that was an easy no.

Then there was kneeling. Reading the word alone did something to him. It struck a cord he hadn't known he had. He still hesitated to mark it as one of his favorites. Wasn't this weird?

Getting fed by hand sounded even weirder but combined with kneeling … he gave it a maybe.

When they were done, Stiles spread out the pages next to each other. Derek couldn't help it, he felt like he would be grated for his answers.

Stiles had a question here and there to clear up what exactly Derek meant but he never judged, he never gave him the impression that one of his answers was weird or wrong or something like that.

Derek had a look at Stiles' answers as well but there was nothing totally contrary to Derek's. He had given Shibari a big yes while Derek had put it under maybe. After he had asked Stiles what it even was.

"Okay, we can work with this." Stiles put the papers together into a neat pile. "We can give it a try next Wednesday, if you like. That way we have a week to think about it. If we want to change or add something, we can do that. And if you want to call it off, just tell me. No hard feelings."

"You could call if off too." Derek reminded him.

"And give up the chance to paint that pretty ass of yours red? Never."

"And you're really okay with the no sex rule?" That was Derek's biggest worry. He wanted to give this a try but doing it without the sex part still felt kind of strange. Especially since he knew that Stiles had a crush on him.

"I'd love to go there with you." Stiles admitted. "In the playroom and outside of it but it's not on the table, I know that and it's okay."

Derek listened to his heart-beat but as far as he could tell Stiles was speaking the truth. What he would get out of their arrangement if it wasn't an orgasm Derek didn't know and if he was honest, he didn't dare to ask.

"Oh, and you really should do some research yourself." Stiles added as an afterthought. "I'll send you a few links to start with but don't limit yourself to just those. And ask me if you have questions."

Derek just nodded.

Thankfully, once they left the suite to face the day, Derek had other things on his mind. There was the paperwork Stiles had distracted him with yesterday, he had to finish that eventually, and Stiles' schedule was packed which meant that Derek's was packed as well. And they left every appointment with more paperwork.

Derek had so much on his mind that he didn't even notice the whispers behind his back. Much.

He had to restrain himself from laughing when he heard somebody talking about him being all tossed up and at Stiles' mercy, though.

The next few days went by in a blur but Derek did find the time to check out the links Stiles had sent him. They were definitively not safe for work, did that still matter if your boss was the one sending you those links?

The sex stuff aside, there was the safe, sane and consensual again.

The importance of aftercare. It sounded a lot like the massage and cuddle thing he and Stiles had already going so Derek figured that counted.

She had never bothered with aftercare and Derek had to admit that he had felt kind of shitty sometimes when he had left her place.

There was also a thing called sub-drop. He didn't really understand what they were talking about but he made a note to ask Stiles later. By now he had a list of things he wanted to ask Stiles.

Then he got lost in a blog run by a sub talking about his experiences. If the other websites had made him doubt his decision to give this a try, this blog made Derek want again. He couldn't wait for Wednesday.

On Monday, when the maid confirmed that the playroom thing hadn't been a one time fluke – seriously, would they ever get over it? – Isaac acted weird again and Derek feared that he would have to assure him that everything was fine every week now.

Derek had no idea what Stiles had in mind for Wednesday but he was pretty sure that next week there would be more stuff used than just the bed. But Derek would have that conversation with Isaac only if the other man engaged it. Which, he hoped, would be never.

"Is this about the playroom again?" Derek finally gave in but the way Isaac frowned at him, there was something else on his mind.

"No, no." He shook his head but straightened up when he came to a decision. "How do you feel about being my brawn for a few hours?"

"As long as this is not about the playroom." Derek answered and couldn't help the smug smile forming on his lips when Isaac got all flustered.

"Would you stop with the playroom?" He hissed. "Geez, I don't want to know what's going on in there."

Derek just waited for him to get to the point.

"It's about Andrew."

"What about him?" Now he had Derek's attention.

"I've been through every email he ever wrote on one of our computers and I went through his whole internet history but aside from some porn and way too many clicks on Facebook I found nothing." He looked frustrated.

"You do that?" Thinking of his own research earlier Derek shift uncomfortably in his seat. Of course he knew that every click got registered somewhere and that employers did have an eye on what their employees did while they should be working. People got fired over stuff like this. But for some reason he hadn't really thought about this possibility before. Since he lived at work, what counted as surfing at work anyway?

"Only if I have a reason." Isaac gave him a knowing grin. "Anyway, I didn't find anything on him and Boyd has been through his financial accounts of the last years and hasn't found anything either."

"He can do that?" Derek raised an eyebrow at him, impressed.

"Officially? No."

If they played it completely legal, Derek wouldn't be here in the first place. And Erica's freelancing was not exactly legal either.

"Okay." Derek nodded in understanding. "What do you need me for, then?"

"We didn't want to spook whoever is behind this so we didn't outright asked Andrew who gave him the program but I think it's about time to get some answers." Isaac gave him a feral grin.

That was how they ended up in one of the less distinctive cars of Stiles' car pool in front of a small house far off the strip.

"Nice house." Derek commented. He didn't know how much Andrew had made working at the Red but he guessed this was in line with that. If it had been suspicious it would have come up with Boyd's research.

There was a car in the driveway so Andrew was probably at home.

They got out of the car and Derek adjusted his leather jacket and put his best scowl on his face. Isaac didn't think that Andrew was dangerous in any way so Derek's role was to be intimidating and let Isaac do the talking.

He followed Isaac to the door.

It felt kind of anticlimactic when Isaac rang the doorbell, though.

Andrew opened with a smile on his face that slipped the second he recognized his visitors. Like expected he tried to slam the door into their faces but Derek held it open with ease.

"Andrew." Isaac said way too cheerfully. "Mind if we come in for a second? No? Good." With that he pushed past the baffled Andrew.

"You can't …" He started but he was already speaking to Isaac's back so he turned to Derek instead. "You can't do that. I'm calling the police."

Derek grabbed him by the collar and dragged him inside. He closed the door with an audible thud.

Without a word Derek hauled the protesting Andrew to the kitchen where he sat him down in on of the chairs and with his hands heavy on his shoulders Derek made sure that he stayed there.

"Nobody else here." Isaac joined them after a moment. He turned around the chair across from Andrew and sat down with his arms on the back of the chair and a too friendly expression on his face.

"What do you want?" Andrew asked but his heart was beating fast enough that Derek was worried he would pass out any moment now.

"You left us a little gift." Isaac said casually. "Who gave it to you?"

"I've no idea what you're talking about." Andrew crossed his arms over his chest in an attempt to look like he wasn't bothered in the slightest by the intruders.

"I want a name." Isaac said, dropping the friendly act.

"I'm not telling you anything."

Derek growled and dug his claws into Andrew's shoulders. The man let out a yelp and was now shaking under Derek's hands.

"Like I said." Isaac studied him with cold eyes. "I want a name."

When they had first met Derek had compared him to Vincent Vega from Pulp Fiction and now that association was back. Isaac could pull off the bad guy if he wanted to.

"Somebody came to you." Isaac continued. "Somebody gave you the program and you installed it in our system."

"I don't …" Andrew started but Derek cut him off with another growl. He let his clawed hand slip up to Andrew's throat.

Suddenly the strong smell of ammonia filled the air.

"He peed himself." Derek announced around his fangs. Andrew couldn't see them but for sure he heard how they hindered his speech.

"Don't make it too hard on yourself." Isaac gave him a sympathetic look. "You don't want Derek here to carve the answer out of you, don't you?"

A few minutes later Derek followed Isaac back to the car.

"Who the hell is Danny Mahealani?"


	18. Chapter 18

"Danny Mahealani is a god." Erica proclaimed.

"I take you know the guy?"

"We never met." She admitted. "But he can't be our guy."

"Why not? He not good enough?" Derek hadn't dared to touch the program and Erica had said herself that whoever had programmed it was really good.

"Please, he could do something like that in his sleep." She brushed him off. "Did some impressive hacking in his wild years, that's true, but he's one of the good guys now. Runs his own business and pays taxes and everything."

"Maybe he's still doing something on the side?" _Like you_ , Derek thought but didn't say out loud.

"Maybe." She didn't sound convinced. "But this is not really his style. He's more of a justice warrior. Transferring money from banks to charity organizations, things like that. He did some things just to see if he could do them, getting into government systems just because. Stuff like that. That's basically what he's doing now but on the legal side."

"What do you mean?" To Derek that sounded exactly like their guy.

"He tests security systems." Erica answered and in the background he heard her tapping on the keyboard. "He gets payed for hacking into a system to find the weak spots."

"So he would be capable of doing something like this." Derek stressed the point. So far this man was the only lead they had and he was not willing to give it up just yet.

"Like I said, in his sleep. But why would he?"

That was the big question.

"I'm on his website now." She said and there was more clicking. "Got some really good reviews. I could contact him."

"Not yet." Derek stopped her. "I have to talk to Isaac and Stiles first. But I'll let you know."

Derek ended the call deep in thoughts. Even if this had been a relapse to this Danny guy's more adventurous times, the Red didn't seem like his usual target. And if he had been hired to test their system it should have been in the books. And for sure he shouldn't have left a program spying on them.

He informed Isaac and Stiles about the new information and they all agreed that the only way to find out more about this was to just talk to the guy. So Derek called Erica back.

"Set up a meeting with him." He said without a greeting.

"Will do." She most likely had already typed out her request and was only waiting to hit send now. "I'll let you know as soon as I get an answer."

Derek was about to end the call when she spoke again. "Oh, and if you see Boyd, tell him that if he's looking for his plush frog I found it under my bed this morning and I intend to keep it."

"Why does Boyd have a plush frog?" Derek asked. "Forget it, I don't want to know. And you can tell him yourself."

"Hey, that's less disturbing than some things I hear about you." Erica said lightly but her voice dropped into something more serious at the end.

Derek didn't know what to say to that. Erica had been at the Red a few times and even if she wasn't interacting with the other staff much, she must have heard something.

"Derek?" Now there was clear concern in her voice.

"I don't want to talk about this over the phone." Or ever. He closed his eyes. Telling Isaac had been one thing. He couldn't tell Erica. If he started like that whole Vegas would know in a few days.

"We could meet somewhere." She suggested. "My place if you want to talk in private."

That offer alone made him wonder what exactly she had heard. His first instinct was to tell her that he was fine. Her work at the Red would be done eventually and then she wouldn't hear more of the rumors. But if she got more involved with Boyd, and it clearly looked like that, he was already losing his stuff in her bedroom, it was more than likely that she would hear more.

In two days Stiles and Derek intended to have their first scene and if it went well, Derek would want more of it. Even if it was mediocre, he most likely would want more. He had been walking around with nauseating mixture of want, anticipation and dread in the pit of his stomach for days now but the want was by far the strongest emotion.

"I'm worried about you." She said softly when it took him too long to answer.

They agreed to have dinner together on Friday. Her place, Derek would bring beer.

He ended the call and couldn't help but wonder since when people cared about him. And since when did he take them up on their offer to help him?

The next morning, Tuesday, Erica was forgotten because he had another weird breakfast with Stiles. Since tomorrow was their big day Stiles wanted to use this to clear up last questions.

Derek had never guessed that there would be so much talking involved. With her he had barely opened his mouth, except for eating her out, and the only things coming out of her mouth had been orders or insults when he had messed up again.

He didn't want to mess up with Stiles.

"So tomorrow." Stiles drew out the words while he piled pancakes on his plate. "You still in?"

"Yes, Stiles." He restrained himself from rolling his eyes. Nobody liked a sassy sub.

Stiles either didn't notice his tone or choose to ignore it. Maybe he was too busy drowning his pancakes in syrup.

"We can do one scene in the evening and that's it." He said but there was an "or" just waiting around the corner. Derek waited him out. "Or we could do more throughout the day."

"What do you have in mind?" Derek fiddled with a slice of bacon on his plate, not sure if he wanted to meet the other man's eyes.

"Nothing major." Stiles hurried to say. "I'm not going to spank you every hour or keep you tied up all day." His tone was joking but it made Derek breathe easier.

He didn't know what to expect from this, from Stiles. This was already completely different than what he'd done with her.

"I was thinking about kneeling." Stiles continued and Derek felt his eyes on him. Not judging but observing, at least he hoped Stiles wasn't judging.

"I'd like that." Derek said to the bacon on his plate. His cheeks were burning and he just couldn't look at Stiles.

Stiles' hand found his and gave it an encouraging squeeze.

"And I'd like to chose what we do over the day." Stiles continued. "I'd like it if you'd asked when you need to use the bathroom. I won't say no but I'd like it if you asked."

Derek thought about it. Handing control over like this was big. He had crossed out the whole humiliation section so he hoped that Stiles wouldn't make him beg to use the bathroom or let him pee himself.

"If you're uncomfortable with this, just tell me." Stiles' thumb painted little circles on the back of his hand. "We're still hashing this out, you have as much of a say in this as I have."

Derek swallowed thickly. The thought of letting Stiles take complete control for the day was tempting.

"I want to try." Just saying that loosened something inside him.

"Anything you want to add?" Stiles asked, ducking his head to look him in the eye.

Derek felt his blush deepen but after Stiles had been so open, he felt bold.

"My hair." He started but had to clear his throat before he could continue. "I'd like your fingers in my hair."

"Petting or pulling?" Stiles asked as if it was a normal request.

"Both? But more the first?" Derek licked his lips. The thought of himself on his knees while Stiles was carding his fingers through his hair …

"Okay." Stiles agreed. "Just tell me if I'm too rough."

That brought them to the topic of safe words. Stiles wanted to use the traffic light system and Derek had to admit that it was more flexible than a single safe word. With yellow he could pause the scene without actually ending it. It worked in his favor because using his safe word still felt like admitting defeat. And he didn't want to ruin this for Stiles.

"I'm going to ask for a color often." Stiles continued. "And I need an answer. I don't know you well enough to read your cues and even if I knew you well enough, I still could miss or misread something. I need you to tell me if something is wrong."

"I'll tell you."

"Good." Stiles gave his hand another squeeze. "Anyway, tomorrow is our test drive. So whatever happens, there won't be any punishment. We're just testing things out. I want to try out the spanking bench but that won't be about punishment either. It's just us figuring stuff out, okay?"

Derek didn't know how Stiles did it but somehow he knew what was going on in Derek's head.

With her it had always been about punishment. More often than not he had been set up to failure and he had thought that it had been part of the game. He had read a few things about that over the last few days.

"I have one more thing on my list." Stiles continued, drawing Derek out of his thoughts. "Since we're taking this into all day life, at least for one day, it would be good to mark it someway. It helps us to slip into our roles if there is a visible reminder that we're in a scene." He paused, choosing his words carefully. "Usually that's what a collar is for."

Derek went rigid and he had to fight the urge to yank his hand out of Stiles'.

 _Good dog_ , echoed her voice in his mind and he could almost feel the collar around his neck.

"But I know that's not an option here." Stiles hurried to say. With his other hand he gently straightened out Derek's fingers that had clammed down on his hand. Derek felt bones shifting back into place and for a second he feared that he had broken Stiles' hand.

"Sorry." He muttered, his heart still racing and he washed his free hand down his face in a fruitless attempt to calm himself down.

"No need to be sorry." Stiles told him. "I know that collars are not an option. You shoved me into a wall and nearly ate my face off because of that on your first day here. Believe me, I remember."

Derek had almost forgotten about that incident. He was about to say sorry again, ashamed of his reaction back then, but Stiles cut him off before he could even open his mouth.

"That's why I thought about a wrist cuff." He continued as if nothing had happened. "Would you be okay with wearing that?"

Derek thought about it. It didn't sound that uncomfortable, it would be just like a weird bracelet, and for sure it didn't make him want to a lash out at the mere thought of it.

"By putting it on and taking it off we can mark the beginning and the end of the scene." Stiles said.

It would be like a switch to help him to distinguish between his normal mode and his sub mode.

"That could work." He agreed.

"Great." Stiles gave him a smile. "That's it from my side, what questions do you have?"

Derek had questions, he even had made a list to not forget any of them, but now that it was his chance to ask them, he didn't know where to start. What if they were stupid? What if they just proved how inexperienced he really was? How messed up? He had read about abuse masked as BDSM and he had found more of himself in there than he was ready to admit. What if his questions let on to that and Stiles started to ask about it?

"Derek." Stiles wound his fingers into his hair, gently massaging the the base of his scull. Derek closed his eyes and just bathed in the sensation for a moment.

"I can tell that you have questions." Stiles said. "Nothing we say or do will leave this room. It's just us."

This was stupid, why couldn't he just talk about it? Stiles made it look so easy.

"I made a list." He finally said.


	19. Chapter 19

In the end they had to hurry to not be late for their first appointment of the day but Stiles took his time to go through every single point of Derek's list.

Some things were answered with a short sentence, others took longer to explain, but even when it got late and they should get going, Stiles didn't let himself get rushed.

"This is important." He cut Derek off when he suggested that they could do this another time.

If Stiles thought his questions were stupid or that the answer should be obvious he didn't show and he answered every point on Derek's list in detail and even asked back to make sure that Derek understood what he was talking about. He even encouraged Derek to ask if new questions turned up in the process, which on itself was a new experience.

Never before had anybody cared if Derek understood this kind of things. She for sure hadn't.

However, due to their talk they had a rather hectic start when they finally left the suite but Derek welcomed it. It took his mind off things. He feared that if he thought too hard about this he would chicken out at the last minute.

The universe seemed to know that he needed distraction today so it threw him one curve ball after the other.

There was a last minute meeting with an investor.

Another meeting with the head of maintenance where they once again talked about toilet paper. Not as the main topic but it was on the list.

A mix-up with a hotel reservation. Stiles sent Derek to solve that one. Why he thought that Derek was the right person to do this was beyond Derek but he managed to make the guest happy again simply by repeating the solution the receptionist had been trying to offer him for at least five minutes.

Once the guest had finally gone to his room Derek made sure to explain the situation to the receptionist's boss so that she wouldn't get in trouble if the guest decided to complain about her. Derek had been screwed over for things like this more often than he cared to remember and he had the feeling that the guest was an asshole like that.

Then he hurried back to catch up with Stiles for the next meeting.

The day just flew by and when they retreated to the suite for dinner, Derek was just happy that he could sit for a moment.

Of course when they hit the floor to mingle with the guests, they got caught in the middle of a fight between two groups of guests accusing each other of stealing a slot machine. In the end security had to throw them out but by then Derek's suit was disheveled and his ears were ringing from all the screaming.

While the orderlies hurried to clean up the place, Stiles tried to gloss over the incident with free champagne for the bystanders.

When Derek fell into bed that night, he slept like a rock and didn't even care about what was going to happen the next day.

Realization that it was Wednesday hit him the next morning, though.

For a moment Derek considered just staying in bed the whole day but in the end his curiosity won. He took a shower and hurried through his morning routine before he put on the sweatpants Stiles had given him for today.

"And only those." Stiles' words echoed in his mind.

So when Derek stepped out of his room, barefoot and bare chested and with nothing under his sweatpants, his heart was beating in his throat in anticipation.

Like usual the table was loaded with their breakfast and Stiles was already sipping his first coffee. Next to him on the table lay the cuff.

Derek's eyes were glued to that when he made his way over to the table.

"You still good?" Stiles asked.

Derek nodded, he wasn't trusting his voice right now, but when he held out his arm for Stiles to fasten the cuff around his wrist, it was steady.

Stiles slipped a finger under the leather to test if it wasn't too tight.

"Color?" He asked.

"Green."

"Good. Have a seat." He gestured to the chair Derek usually sat in. Stiles poured him a cup of coffee and added some sugar, just the way Derek liked it. Then he filled Derek's plate with scrambled eggs, bacon and toast.

It was exactly what Derek would have put on his plate himself and the fact alone that Stiles did it for him, and that he had payed attention enough to know what Derek liked for breakfast, did something to him. The cuff around his wrist was a heavy reminder that he wasn't in charge right now but at the same time something settled in him.

"Eat." Stiles said and reached for his own cup of coffee.

They ate in silence, Derek was not in the position to engage a conversation and for once Stiles didn't speak either.

Stiles refilled their cups and then gestured over the table. "Do you want more?"

"No, thank you." Derek said. His stomach had settled down a bit but he was full with what he had.

Derek drank his second cup of coffee while Stiles was still busy with his pancakes.

Then he just sat their while Stiles slowly ate more pancakes. Derek had the suspicion that Stiles did it on purpose, he never needed this long for his pancakes even when he was talking a mile a minute while he was eating them.

So Derek just sat there, hands in his lap and eyes on the empty plate in front of him and waited for Stiles to finish.

"Very good." Stiles praised him when he finally used the napkin as an indication that he was done. Those simple words made Derek's stomach flatter but he tried to not let on to what they did to him.

"Let's move over to the couch."

Like the week before Stiles lay down on the couch but this time it wasn't with a jump. Today he did it like an adult with measured movements and Derek wondered since when Stiles had so much control over his limbs.

"I want another of your awesome foot rubs." He wiggled his bare toes when he lifted his legs for Derek to slip under.

That he could do. However, Derek had noticed the pillow on the floor, just waiting for him to kneel on, and he wondered when they would get to that part.

But for now he had a task at hand, literally, and he focused on reducing Stiles to a puddle of goo.

Pride filled his chest when exactly that happened. By the time Derek was done, Stiles lay there, boneless and with a stupid grin on his face.

He must have timed it, though, because that was when room service knocked to take away the dishes from breakfast.

Stiles sent Derek to his room before he called the room service in. This would have been awesome for the rumor thing, somebody seeing Derek shirtless and obviously serving Stiles, but this was something private and it didn't even seem to cross Stiles' mind to use it to his advantage.

Fingering the cuff around his wrist but with a little smile on his lips, Derek waited patiently until it was safe to return to the main area of the suite.

When they were alone again, Stiles instructed him to set up a movie. He was sitting now, feet firmly on the floor with the pillow between them.

Derek sank down to his knees between Stiles' spread legs. He had the couch in his back and Stiles' legs framing him from the side.

"Color?"

"Green."

"I just want you to sit comfortable." Stiles said and his hands found their way to his shoulders. "Think you can stay the whole movie like this?"

"Yes."

With that Stiles started the movie.

At first Derek found it weird and he expected to get twitchy just minutes into the movie but Stiles' legs pressed gently into his sides and after a while he found himself leaning into it.

Stiles' hands were constantly on him, sometimes just resting on his shoulders, sometimes combing through his hair in slow, soothing motions.

The movie washed over him and Derek felt himself drift into a relaxed state. When the credits started to roll, his head was resting against Stiles' knee and Stiles was lazily massaging his scalp.

"Color?" Stiles asked and turned off the TV.

"Green." Derek said drowsily and rubbed his face to get more alert.

"How was that for you?" Stiles asked, still holding him in place with his hands and knees but Derek still didn't feel trapped by it. If anything it was comforting.

"Surprisingly good." He admitted. "Can I use the bathroom now?" He ask the letter quickly to not give himself the chance to think too much about it.

"I'm proud of you." Stiles stroke his head and Derek just leaned into the touch. "Go ahead."

In the bathroom Derek took a moment to look at himself in the mirror. What was he even doing?

But he had to admit that he felt good. They hadn't done anything major yet and still he felt settled and content and he was looking forward to going back out there. Going back to Stiles.

This was so completely different to what he had with her.

They spent the day pretty much like they had last Wednesday with the only difference that Derek spent most of the time on his knees, leaning against Stiles' leg. Stiles just moved the pillow to his side because he was the one who couldn't sit still enough.

Stiles showed him more video games and over dinner they watched a game show on TV. Stiles ordered the food for him and Derek ate the burger Stiles handed him kneeling next to him, his shoulder brushing slightly against Stiles' knee.

When Derek was done with his burger, Stiles offered him a fry. Derek eyed it for a second but then he ate it out of Stiles' hand. He tried to use only his teeth but he couldn't help that his lips touched Stiles' fingers in the process.

"Color?" Stiles asked and he sounded a bit breathless.

"Green." Derek answered.

"You're unbelievable, you know that?" Stiles said in awe and one by one he fed him the fries.

After dinner they watched the rest of the show but then Stiles turned off the TV.

"You want to take this over to the playroom?" He asked and Derek knew that it would be perfectly fine to say no. Instead he nodded and got up. He had been kneeling for the better part of the day so he needed a few steps to get his legs working again. Stiles watched him closely but didn't say a word.

Derek followed Stiles to the playroom and the second he stepped through the door, his eyes were on the bench. He wanted this but he couldn't help the shiver running down his spine.

"Take off your pants and bent over the bench." Stiles instructed.

Derek had known that he would have to get naked in front of Stiles but now he hesitated.

"Derek?" Stiles suddenly stood in front of him, his hand on Derek's chest. Could he feel his rapidly beating heart?

"Color?"

Derek licked his lips.

"Green." He answered and hooked his thumbs in the waistband of his pants.

Stiles guided him in position over the bench and secured his wrists and ankles with leather cuffs. The one he was already wearing fit into the system and Stiles just hooked it up to the bench.

"These are normal cuffs." Stiles told him, running a hand down his spine. "You could break free if you really wanted to but I would prefer a safe word before you trash my equipment."

Derek couldn't help it, he laughed. Here he was, naked and exposed, and he just shook with laughter.

"That's good." Stiles praised him. "Let out all that tension."

Soothing hands ran up and down his back and the tension did melt out of his body.

"I'm going to work in the lotion now." Stiles informed him. He warmed it up in his hands before he started to knead it into the globes of Derek's butt. It felt warm and tingled a bit but not unpleasant. For today they had agreed that Stiles would only use his hand but the wolfsbane lotion would keep Derek from healing instantly, making it last.

"Color?" Stiles asked again.

"Green." Derek answered and relaxed farther into his bonds.

"I'm going to start now." Stiles informed him. Derek gave him a nod and then the first blow fell on his butt.


	20. Chapter 20

Even with the warning the first impact took Derek by surprise.

Stiles knew how to cup his hand to make it sting but it didn't really hurt and when the next blow fell, Derek was ready.

In a steady rhythm Stiles altered between Derek's right and left cheek, giving him the chance to anticipate the next hit. For now he was warming him up and Derek could almost feel his butt reddening under Stiles' hand. The lotion played a part in this as well, Derek's butt had felt warm even before Stiles had started.

Derek didn't count but after about twenty blows Stiles stopped and just gently ran his hands over his heated flesh.

"You're doing so good." He said, kneading his cheeks more firmly. "Color?"

"Green." Derek replied easily. Even the kneading didn't really hurt and for now Derek just felt comfortable and relaxed.

"Ready for more?"

"Yes, please." The last word escaped his mouth before he could even think about it and now his face felt hot and flushed as well.

"You're going to be the death of me, you know that?" Stiles rested his forehead between his shoulder blades and for a second Derek felt the hot puffs of his breath on his skin.

Then Stiles straightened up again.

The next impact was harder and Derek yelped in surprise. It still didn't really hurt but they were getting there. Stiles kept a steady rhythm between left and right but the pace was much quicker now, leaving Derek no time to recover from one blow before the next fell.

By now they overlapped and Stiles didn't just stick to the most meaty part of his butt and gave the back of his thighs some attention as well. Derek flinched with every hit and had to fight to keep his breathing even.

He couldn't tell how long it went on but when Stiles stopped the next time, his ass and thighs were burning. The lotion really did its job, the pain didn't abated after a few seconds, quite the opposite, the wolfsbane seemed to add another layer to it.

"Shh." Stiles ran his hand up and down his back again, staying away from his sore skin. "Just relax. Let go, it's okay, I got you. You're doing so good, I'm so proud of you. You can let go now."

The words washed over him. Derek didn't catch them all but something in him uncurled and he let out a shuddering breath.

"Color?"

Derek heard the question but his mind was kind of floating and there was the pain throbbing in his backside but it was a pleasant kind of pain.

"Derek." Without losing contact, Stiles' hand traveled with him along his spine until it cupped the base of Derek's neck gently, Stiles stepped around the bench and crouched down to eye level with him. "You with me?"

Derek hmmed to that.

"I need you to tell me a color." Stiles insisted.

He had to clear his throat to be able to speak. "Green." He finally croaked out.

"You're doing so good." Stiles kissed the top of his head. "Let's make you fly."

When Derek came to, he was lying in bed with Stiles spooning him from behind. He had foggy memories of Stiles helping him over to the bed and then working some more lotion into his throbbing ass. This time a different one, though, it felt cool and soothing and Derek just let Stiles take care of him.

"How do you feel?" Stiles asked, obviously noticing that Derek was there again.

"Good." He mumbled and snuggled deeper into the pillow. "Sleepy."

"You can sleep in a minute." Stiles assured him but at the same time he rubbed Derek's shoulder and arm to wake him up even more. "I just need you to drink something first. Can you do that for me?"

His face did feel hot and blotchy and his throat was dry. Derek was pretty sure that he had cried and screamed but it was a distant memory, not really attached to him, and he was too tired and sated to feel embarrassed.

Stiles had a glass of orange juice waiting for him and Derek managed to prop himself up on his elbow to drink without spilling juice all over the bed.

After that Stiles handed him a washcloth to freshen up his face and then, finally, he let him drop back into the pillow.

"I'm taking off the cuff now." Stiles told him and reached over him to do just that. Derek hadn't even noticed that he was still wearing it.

It felt strange, his skin suddenly too cold and naked where it had been hidden by the cuff all day.

Stiles closed his long fingers around his wrist where the cuff had been and Derek put his own hand on top of it.

They didn't speak and after a moment they settled in for the night.

With Stiles a solid weight against his back and Stiles' arm thrown over him, now resting over his heart, Derek drifted off to sleep.

When he opened his eyes again, the room was flooded with sunlight coming in through the huge windows but it had to be still early morning.

Derek shifted until he lay on his back, his backside protesting slightly, but he wanted to look at Stiles.

The other man was still sleeping. Stiles' face was squished into the pillow, a string of drool hanging from his half-open mouth. He looked young and innocent and not at all like the dom who had expertly whacked Derek's butt last night.

Speaking of which, Derek shifted more purposefully to test out the lingering sting. Never before had it lasted. It had been hours and he still felt the dull throb in his butt and in the back of his thighs. Not exactly pain but he could tell that it was there.

Astonished Derek just lay there, marveling over the fact that his healing had been delayed for this long. On one hand it was terrifying, by now even broken bones would have healed, this wasn't normal, he shouldn't still feel it, but on the other hand he loved it. He could still feel Stiles' impact on him, quite literal, and he loved it.

What they could do with that. What Stiles could do with that. Adding layer of layer of pain, like an artist painting a canvas. Derek's breath caught in his throat at that thought and he was half-hard from thinking about it alone.

Under the silky sheets he was still naked but he didn't really care. He kind of enjoyed the soft whisper of silk on his sore skin.

Derek's eyes fell on the bench. It looked harmless in the early morning light but he remembered the cool leather under his chest and belly, the firm grip of the cuffs holding him in place.

As quietly as possible Derek slid out of the bed and stepped over to the bench.

His fingertips traveled over the smooth leather, cool to the touch just like he remembered. A feeling of deja vu settled in his stomach and Derek turned his head to make sure that Stiles was indeed still sleeping. He didn't want to get caught ogling the equipment again. Now he was allowed to but he didn't want to look too eager and needy.

Hand still on the bench Derek closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. He hadn't showered so part of the lingering smell of sweat and endorphin came from himself but it was still clinging to the bench as well. Mixed with the sharp tang of precome. He hadn't even noticed that he had gotten hard but it didn't come as a surprise either. He did get aroused by this, that wasn't news and maybe he would go there with Stiles at one point, but that wasn't what last night had been about. His erection had just been a side effect. And Stiles understood that.

Stiles hadn't jumped to conclusions and he hadn't turned it into something Derek wasn't ready for. Despite his own arousal, Derek could still scent it heavy in the air, Stiles had kept it strictly non-sexual. Derek didn't know what to do with that.

"Come back to bed." Stiles mumbled behind him and Derek let out a sigh, caught again.

Stiles eyes weren't really open and rubbing them with the heel of his hand didn't make it any better. His hair was sticking out in every direction and he just looked like a three-year-old waking from a nap. He looked adorable.

"Morning." Derek said and slid back under the sheets. He should probably be more worried about his nakedness than he actually was.

They lay facing each other and for a long moment Stiles just studied him with bleary eyes that didn't get more focused the longer he looked at Derek.

"How do you feel?" He finally asked, stifling a yawn.

"I need a shower." Derek answered truthfully. Stiles chuckled to that but he had a proud glint in his eye.

"Do you still feel it?"

"A little." The remaining sting had abated to almost nothing over the last few minutes but it was still there.

"The shower should take care of the last bit of the wolfsbane lotion." Stiles said and sneaked a hand around Derek's hip until it rested lightly on Derek's back, just above the swell of his butt.

"Okay?" Stiles asked and it felt somehow strange that he wasn't asking for a color.

Curious what Stiles would do, Derek nodded his okay.

Gently his fingertips traveled downward over the curve of Derek's butt, cupping his cheek for a moment. Then he went farther down his thighs, covering every inch he had spanked last night, before his hand wandered back up again until it rested once again on Derek's hip.

The whole time he was looking at Derek as if he was searching for something. It wasn't something sexual, that much Derek could tell. It easily could have been and for an outsider it might look like that but Derek knew the difference. This was Stiles checking on him, making sure that he was okay. It was about comfort.

"Can we talk about yesterday?" Stiles asked into the moment of silence.

Derek's mind was still at ease and sleepy but he nodded.

"How was it for you?"

"Good, I liked it." Derek answered honestly.

"Even the fries?" Stiles asked. "I know it's something from your maybe pile and I probably …"

"I liked it." Derek stopped him right there. He closed his eyes and brought there foreheads together, mainly so that he didn't have to look Stiles in the eye. "You were perfect. I want more. The kneeling, the feeding, the spanking, everything. I want more." The last words hitched in his throat and he kept his watering eyes firmly shut. Shame burned in his cheeks and he hoped that Stiles didn't see it.

Stiles slung his arms around him, one hand cupping the back of his head, the other one between his shoulder blades, and drew him close. Derek buried his face in Stiles' chest, hands fisted in the fabric of his t-shirt. The sheets got caught somewhere between them, leaving his naked butt out in the open but Derek didn't want to let go of Stiles to cover himself up again. Nothing Stiles hadn't seen before anyway.

"You can have that." Stiles assured him. "You were so good, so perfect. Do you have any idea how responsive you are? How you look on your knees? On the bench? I want more of that too."

Derek relaxed in Stiles arms. He could go back to sleep like this, it was still early, they could stay in bed for another hour or two.

He did smell Stiles' arousal and he could tell that the other man had an erection but he was as relaxed as Derek and didn't seem to care about anything but holding Derek.

"I'm so going to jerk off to this in the shower." Stiles said with a longing sigh when he shifted to not press his boner into Derek's thigh.

"Of course you will." Derek grinned into his shirt but didn't feel the need to move away from him.

Derek did almost drift back to sleep and he blamed that and the general feeling of being safe in Stiles' arms for not hearing the elevator or the person entering the suite.

It even took him a second to react when the door of the playroom suddenly opened and somebody poked his head in.

"Stiles, you in here?"


	21. Chapter 21

"Stiles, you in here?"

For a second Derek thought it was Isaac. Who else could it be this early in the morning? But then his brain caught up with the situation and he realized that it wasn't Isaac's voice and a moment later the scent confirmed the same thing.

There was a stranger in the play room.

Derek shifted on instinct. He rolled to his back, facing the intruder with fangs and claws, ready to defend himself and Stiles.

At the same time Stiles tried to untangle himself from the sheets to get out of the bed.

"Scott!" Was the only thing he was able to yell, the rest ended in a breathless uff when he hit the floor.

In his haste Derek might have yanked at the sheets a bit too hard, the fabric ripped under his claws, and had propelled Stiles out of the bed.

Now Derek did recognize Scott, Stiles' friend who had tried to be his knight in shining armor before.

Derek let his face smooth back to human.

"Scott!" Stiles was on his feet and already halfway through the room. He could move if he really wanted to, Derek had to give him that. And he didn't notice the muscles of his butt working under the flimsy pajama pants the other man wore for the night.

Derek fixed his eyes on Scott. Who just stood in the door, embarrassment clearly written over his face, and Derek wondered how this looked to him. For sure he had seen Derek's naked ass. There was a bottle of lotion on the nightstand next to his wrist cuff. There was another bottle of lotion sitting by the bench which had still the restrains attached to it. If Scott had noticed Stiles' boner, those pants didn't hide anything, Derek didn't know but he doubted that that made a difference now.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" Stiles yelled at his friend and gave him a hit over the head. It looked more playful than meant to hurt but it had the desired effect that Scott ducked out of the room.

Derek was out of the bed and fighting his way into his pants the second the door closed behind them. The pants were the only clothes he had available but they would do for the moment. He was out of the door a moment later.

"I didn't think ..." Scott started but was cut off by Stiles.

"That's right, you didn't think." He said still with a raised voice but calmer now. "Scott, you can't just barge into that room like that."

"You weren't out here or in your bedroom." Scott defended himself and Derek wondered how long he had been wandering around the suite without him noticing. "I thought you might be sleeping in there. Isaac said you didn't have anyone over."

Derek would have loved to hear the story that had led to Scott checking in with Isaac in case Stiles had someone over but this was not the time.

"You don't just badge into a playroom." Stiles repeated. "You just don't."

"It's morning." Scott tried to defend himself. "People sleep in the morning."

"We could have been in a scene." Stiles repeated. "And even if not, aftercare is a thing, look it up."

At the suggestion of looking up something about this, Scott made a face of disgust.

"You said that you wouldn't take advantage of him." He changed the topic, gesturing at Derek. Painfully aware of his bare chest and the pants hanging low on his waist, Derek just tried to stare him down.

"What's going on between Derek and me is none of your business." Stiles said firmly and moved a little to stand more between Scott and Derek.

"It is when you're abusing him."

"I'm not abusing him." Stiles' voice went cold and he set his shoulders as if he expected a physical attack.

"You were doing … stuff to him last night, admit it." Scott set his jaw as well, challenging him to tell him otherwise. "I saw the restrains. And he was in your bed. Naked."

"I know you don't understand it." Suddenly Stiles sounded tired. "But I've never in my life abused anyone."

"What about the hook-ups you bring here from that club?" Scott countered. "Don't tell me that they come home with you because they like you hitting them. They see your money, that's why they let you do whatever you want to them."

Derek got the feeling that this was only a new verse to an old song. They didn't argue over it for the first time.

"But Derek here." Scott threw him a compassionate glance. "He can't say no. He can't just leave."

What was left of the pleasant, sleepy afterglow vanished in an ice bucket feeling. Derek sucked in a breath.

"Stiles never did anything I didn't want him to do." He said, deflecting Scott's pity. He didn't need that, everything had been fine before Scott had showed up.

"You have to say that." Scott didn't quite meet his eye.

"Scott, I know you mean well." Stiles pinched the bridge of his nose. "But this is something you don't understand and you refuse to let go of your prejudice for five fucking minutes so that I can explain it to you. We're running in circles here." Again, was hanging in the air between them and Derek wondered how often they had this discussion.

Scott and before him Isaac had mentioned a club and Stiles bringing home somebody for the night but Derek didn't know if there had ever been something serious going on. There wasn't anybody now, that much he knew, but even if, he had no claim on Stiles. Stiles was his boss and on occasion his dom and that was it. At least at the moment. And it was good. Derek had enjoyed it and he was looking forward to next week and for sure he didn't want Scott to ruin this for them.

"I want to talk to Derek." Scott announced. "Alone."

They had been there before and Derek appreciated his concern but he doubted that there was anything he could say that would convince Scott that Stiles was not taking advantage of him.

"No." Derek said and turned to leave. "I need a shower." With that he left them standing there. He heard a snicker from Stiles and nothing from Scott and he pictured him gaping at him but didn't turn around to check.

"What are you doing here anyway?" Stiles asked, changing the topic.

"I haven't seen you in weeks." Scott answered with a delay. Derek closed his bedroom door but through the wood he could still hear them talking. "I thought I could take you out for breakfast, you know? Like in old times?"

Derek let the sound of the water tune out their voices and for a long moment he just stood under the hot spray of the shower.

Like Stiles had promised, the water washed away the last remains of the wolfsbane lotion and even the deep ache in his muscles faded into nothingness.

Derek wondered if there was a way to make it last even longer. Human subs sometimes felt the impact for days and he wondered what it would be like to feel the ache every time he sat down over the day.

He was with Stiles most of the time. Would he know? Would he give him knowing glances every time Derek shifted in his seat? Would he get aroused from that?

Derek didn't know about Stiles but he got hard just thinking about it.

For a brief second he wondered how long he could hold on to the clean cut between sex and submitting but then he wrapped his soapy hand around his length and jerked off to the image of himself on his knees, licking off the salt the fries had left on Stiles' fingers.

He imagined Stiles' eyes darken and then he would shove his fingers deeper into his mouth, fucking his mouth rough and deep.

Derek came with a strangled sound and then he just stood there, forehead resting against the tiles and water splattering down on his shoulder.

"I'm fucked." He breathed out.

Stiles would love to add sex to their arrangement, there was no doubt about that, but Derek wasn't there. Yet. He liked the fantasy of it but actually doing it with Stiles? It was too close to what he had with her.

Derek shook his head to get rid of the unpleasant thoughts. Stiles had openly admitted that he would jerk off to this as well so why should he feel ashamed of doing the same?

He rinsed off, the water was still hot, at thing he still hadn't gotten quite used to, and then stepped out of the shower. He took his time to go through his morning routine and when he finally left his bedroom dressed for the day, he expected Scott to be long gone.

Instead he found the other man sitting with Stiles at the breakfast table.

There was a moment of awkward silence but Stiles glossed over it with some mindless chatter and then the two friends were back at catching up with each other.

Derek just listened to them talking about people and events he had never heard of before. It was clear that they had been friends for a long time and even Stiles' choice in lifestyle couldn't really harm their friendship. It put a strain on it, that much was clear, especially with Derek sitting right next to them, but like he'd guessed it was an old argument.

In the end Scott did catch him alone when Stiles went to get dressed. They were running late again.

Scott just watched him leave with a fond smile but then his face hardened when he turned to Derek.

"He can't hear us now." He pointed out.

"Scott." Derek said with a sigh. "We've been here before."

"This is different." He said in earnest and the pity was back in his eyes.

Right, last time it had been a rather hypothetical concept, today Scott had seen actual proof that Stiles and Derek were doing at least something in the playroom. And for all Scott knew, Stiles was forcing Derek, he got that. But he couldn't tell him the truth. If Stiles hadn't told his best friend, Derek wouldn't either.

"You don't have to do this." Scott said and it was just like their last conversation. "You can leave. Now. Just come with me. I promise, I'll deal with Stiles."

Derek just shook his head. How could anybody be this naive? If it really was like Scott thought, that Derek was actually working off his uncle's debt, he couldn't just leave. Where would he go? Even Scott should realize that Peter wouldn't take him back.

There was nothing worse for a werewolf than becoming an omega. Derek would whore himself out before he would lose his beta status, there was no question about that. He had come here under that impression and he hadn't hesitated.

But Scott wasn't a werewolf, he didn't understand.

"I know there's nothing I or Stiles can say to convince you that he's not abusing me." He winced at that word. She came to mind. But it was different with Stiles. "But do you trust Isaac?"

"Isaac?" Blindsided Scott blinked at him. "What has Isaac to do with this?"

"We work together." Derek explained. "He sees me every day, he sees me and Stiles every day. If he says it's okay, could you accept it?"

He didn't really care about what Scott thought of him or Stiles but he was Stiles' best friend.

Scott chewed on his bottom lip, thinking it over.

"I'll talk to him." He finally agreed but he still looked skeptical. However, he left to find Isaac.

"That was a smart move." Stiles came out of the bathroom the second the elevator closed behind Scott.

"Should I give Isaac a warning?"

"Absolutely not."

Stiles was fiddling with his tie that just didn't want to sit right. In the end Derek tied it for him.

"Now I just have to figure out what to do with Erica." Derek smoothed over the red tie and stepped back to admire his work. Today the tie was the only red thing on Stiles and it made him look like one of his video game characters. Maybe after Scott he felt like killing someone.

"You'll figure it out." Stiles assured him and adjusted the lapels of Derek's jacket. "I trust you."

With a warm feeling in his stomach Derek followed him to face the day.


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N** _I've changed my upload plan. Chapters will be posted as followed:_

 _"Gambling Debts" on Mondays_

 _"Human is Just a Word" on Wednesdays and Saturdays_

* * *

"You owe me. Both of you." Isaac pointed his finger first at Derek, then at Stiles.

"But you got him to back off?" Stiles flopped down in Isaac's chair and started to spin back and forth.

"He still doesn't understand." Isaac raked a hand through his hair, tousling it even more. "Hell, I don't understand what you're doing there."

When Stiles opened his mouth, Isaac raised his hand to stop him.

"I don't want to know what you're doing." He looked from Stiles to Derek and back again. "Can we just never speak of this again? Ever?"

Derek didn't know what Isaac had told Scott but it seemed to have convinced Scott that Stiles wasn't abusing him. Why Scott trusted Isaac's judgment over Stiles' he didn't know but his money was on Isaac's past. Whatever had happened to him, Scott most likely knew about it. And it somehow made Isaac an expert of abuse? Derek didn't really want to think about that so he was with Isaac in his desire to change the topic.

Scott might have backed off for the moment but he just didn't get the lifestyle, as Stiles put it, so he would be back.

"He's like a puppy with a bone, adorable but persistent." Stiles said and Derek couldn't help but smile to that. "Prepare yourself for more frequent visits from him."

Scott was a stranger to him and Derek wasn't sure how he felt about him checking up on him on a regular base. He would deal with that when it came to it. First he had to deal with Erica.

Friday evening Derek stood at her door, six-pack of beer under his arm and an uneasy feeling in his stomach.

She opened the door with a smile and didn't jump him with questions right away. Instead she took the beer from him, pried two out of the pack and handed an open one back to him.

"Let me guess, wolfy werewolf like you, you like your steak bloody." She flashed him a feral grin. "But be warned there will be rabbit food going with it."

"Sounds good." He leaned against the kitchen counter, nursing his beer, and watched her preparing the food. Her apartment was a little more upscale than the one he used to share with Peter but not by much. It was comfy, lived in, Derek liked it. It was a welcomed change to the suite.

"Danny answered me." She said over her shoulder. "He's out of the states at the moment but he agreed to a meeting when he gets back."

"Did he say when?" Derek took another sip of beer just to do something. He didn't really care for beer and he couldn't even get drunk but he drank it just to blend in. Humans seemed to like it.

"About two weeks." She shrugged. "Didn't say anything definite. I'll let you know as soon as I hear from him."

Over dinner they chatted about work and Derek learned more about Boyd than he ever wanted to know but at least Erica stayed clear of that one topic she was dying to talk about. Derek kind of loved her for that but he knew that she would come to it eventually.

And he couldn't dump this one on Isaac as well. Unlike Scott she had no reason to trust Isaac's judgment. She would probably listen to Boyd but he didn't really know what was going on either.

After dinner they moved over to the couch with fresh beers and full bellies.

"So." She made, tucking one sock-clad foot under her thigh to sit more sideways, facing him. "You and Stiles, what's going on with that?"

Derek took another pull of his bottle.

"What have you heard?" He asked carefully.

"That your alpha basically sold you to Stiles to cover his debts." She said, watching him closely out of the corner of her eye. "That you're Stiles' little fuck toy."

Derek nodded and brought the bottle to his lips just to gain some time. This was what he had expected but he still didn't know what to say to that.

"Derek?" She put her hand on his forearm. "What's going on?"

"That basically covers it." He said as emotionless as he could master.

"That's bull." She said. "I've met Stiles. Unless he does a one-eighty once you two are alone, and I admit, that is possible, he's not that kind of guy."

"He's not." Stiles was probably the best man he'd ever met, Derek couldn't bring himself to paint him like that. "But what they say about the basic deal? That's true. I am working off my uncle's debts." It was just a small lie, he already had worked it off, semantics like Stiles would say.

She narrowed her eyes on him but didn't call him out on his lie.

"With sex?"

"As Stiles' personal assistant." Derek corrected her but didn't look her in the eye. With his thumb he picked and scratched at the label on the bottle in his hand.

"And that includes the playroom?" She said the word with a mix of awe and disgust that made Derek feel sick in the stomach. He enjoyed what they did in there and he was looking forward to next Wednesday. Without interruptions by nosy friends this time.

"Can you keep a secret?" He made a decision. He couldn't and wouldn't tell her the whole truth but she deserved to at least know that he was okay.

She nodded and gave his wrist an encouraging squeeze. His left one, the one where he had worn the cuff. Derek wasn't sure if this was ironic or some kind of divine approval.

"Stiles and I do use the playroom." He admitted, still not looking at her.

Instead his eyes were fixed on her hand around his wrist. It almost felt like the cuff. "But despite what everybody thinks, that's not part of the deal."

"Why would you do it, then?" She asked after a moment.

Derek just gave her a long look.

"Oh." She finally made in understanding. "You like it?" Her voice dropped into a conspiratorial whisper.

"There's nothing happening I don't want." He emphasized that point. "There wouldn't be happening anything if I didn't want it." Now he glanced at her to catch her reaction. Her heart was beating a bit faster than it had over dinner but she wasn't panicking on him. And unlike Scott she seemed to actually listen to what he was saying.

However, Derek didn't know how to explain it to her. Maybe he could give her the links Stiles has given her. Especially that blogging sub had helped him to understand it and he was still checking his blog regularly.

"Okay." She said and let go of his wrist.

"Okay?" He raised an eyebrow at her.

"Yeah, okay."

"You're the first who just accepts it like this."

"Let's just say." She draw out the words with a wicked smile on her face. "College was a wild time. I tried out a lot of stuff."

"I don't want to know."

"And I'm not going to tell you." She bumped her shoulder into his.

After that the evening became way more pleasant and when Derek left, he was actually considering to take her up on her offer to do something like this again.

Stiles had given him the evening off so when Derek returned to the suite, it was empty. Stiles was already on the floor and since he didn't expect Derek to join him, Derek didn't. The floor was still his least favorite part of the casino and if he had the chance to skip an evening he took it.

Knowing that Stiles wouldn't be back for hours, Derek opened the door to the playroom and switched on the lights.

The bed was still unmade and the sheets in shreds and there was the bottle of lotion on the bedside table, most likely left out there on purpose. Stiles had put the restrains away but he had left a sticky note on the bench.

Curious Derek stepped closer.

 _Please clean and sanitize thoroughly_ , it read. It was signed with a smiley.

Derek just shook his head.

Before Derek hadn't dared to have a closer look at all the toys but now he opened drawers and inspected the shelves. For now he was more interested in the floggers and paddles and everything else for impact play but he couldn't help but notice the collection of butt plugs and dildos.

For a brief moment he wondered what it would feel like if he let Stiles use them on him but he pushed that thought to the back of his mind. He had no strings attached scenes with her and he couldn't go there again.

Wednesday came by quickly and this time there was no moment of hesitation. Derek got out of bed, went through his morning routine and put on his sweat pants. Stiles had given him the cuff the night before so he put that on as well.

With a bounce in his step he left his room to join Stiles for breakfast.

Like the week before Stiles was already at the table but this time Derek's place wasn't laid out. Instead there was the pillow next to Stiles on the floor. Derek licked his lips.

"Color?" Stiles asked, watching him closely.

"Green." With that he sank down to his knees. Immediately Stiles' hand found its way to his hair, massaging his scalp for a moment. Derek closed his eyes and let himself sink into sub space. He wasn't in charge today, he could let go. Stiles would take care of him.

Stiles gave him his cup of coffee to drink by himself, hot coffee was a bit too risky to mess around with, but the rest of his breakfast Derek ate out of Stiles' hand. He didn't even try to not let his lips touch Stiles any longer and shamelessly licked his fingertips clean with every bite he took.

He was pushing the limits here, he knew that but when he looked up and met Stiles' eyes, he didn't really care. There was a hunger in that look.

Derek just cleaned his fingers more thoroughly with the next piece of bacon Stiles offered him.

Stiles shared some of his pancakes with him, most likely because they were dripping with syrup and made his fingers sticky. Derek didn't mind.

Then a drop of syrup landed on his chest. For a moment they both froze.

Derek felt the fat drop slowly sliding down his pec and when he looked at Stiles, his eyes were fixed on it, his lips slightly parted and he looked close to drooling.

"You want to lick it off, don't you?" Derek asked, his voice husky. He couldn't blame Stiles, he was the one how had started this with licking his fingers.

Stiles didn't answer, eyes still on his chest where the syrup was leaving a sticky trail. He closed his mouth with an audible click and swallowed thickly.

"Green."

For a long moment it looked like Stiles wouldn't do it. They were crossing lines with this, they both knew it, but in the end he pushed his chair back and leaned forward.

Derek straightened up and presented his chest more openly. He closed his eyes when Stiles hot tongue swept over his skin, catching the stray bead of syrup. Then Stiles licked up his chest, cleaning him with little flicks of his tongue.

When he was done, Stiles didn't just went back to his breakfast. His face was only inches from Derek's and he had one hand on the nape of Derek's neck to stabilize himself. He looked Derek in the eye, searching for something.

"I'd like to kiss you." Stiles said. His lips were wet and shiny and Derek could smell the syrup in his breath.

"Green."


	23. Chapter 23

Stiles studied him for a moment longer but then he brought their lips together. The kiss was gentle and almost chaste at first but then Derek parted his lips in an invitation. Stiles took it.

When they parted Stiles rested his forehead against Derek's.

"You're going to be the death of me." He said and let out a little laugh.

Eating breakfast like this, with Stiles feeding Derek, took longer than usual so Derek went back to his room straight afterwards to wait until the room service had cleared the table.

When he came back to the main area Stiles had put a roll of rope and a gag on the table. Derek stepped over to have closer look. The gag was one of the shaped like a short penis kinds which looked more like a butt plug if Derek was honest. His mouth watered at the sight of it alone, he could almost feel it filling his mouth.

"This is kind of self-explaining." Stiles pointed at the gag. "And with this." He picked up the rope. "I want to bind your arms behind your back. Color?"

"Green." That was quite some rope for just binding his arms and Derek wondered what Stiles had in mind.

"With the gag you won't be able to speak." Stiles explained. "So you will nod. Once for green, twice for yellow and three is red." He stepped closer, locking eyes with Derek. "You give me red the second you have any breathing problems."

"I will."

"Good." Stiles gave him a smile and then stroke his cheek with a gentle hand. He traveled down his neck and shoulder, along his arm until he reached the cuffed wrist.

Derek let him guide his arm behind his back. The other one followed and then Derek stood there, clasping his forearms and waiting for Stiles to tie them in place.

Of course Stiles didn't just rope his arms together. It wasn't as complex as some pictures of Shibari art Derek had seen on the internet, and that was one of the things on Stiles' yes pile, but there were quite some loops tying his forearms together and there were also loops around his upper arms and his torso.

"Tell me if it's too tight." Stiles said, tying off the last end.

Derek took an experimental breath and wiggled his arms. The rope was tight but not uncomfortable and it didn't feel like it would cut off his circulation any time soon. He already felt himself relaxing into it, he didn't need to hold his arms, the rope was doing that for him. He could probably stay like this for quite a while without getting uncomfortable.

"It's good." He had to admit. He took another breath, testing his limits. The rope around his torso didn't restrict his breathing but it tighten around his chest. Stiles had made sure to not go right over his nipples but the rope was framing them quite nicely.

 _Nipple clamps would go well with this_ , Derek thought. He blushed, embarrassed by where his mind just went.

"Derek?" Of course Stiles noticed. "I want to leave it on for a while so if you already feel something cutting in …"

"It's not that." Derek hurried to say.

"What is it then?" Stiles studied him carefully and Derek had no doubt that he would take off the rope if Derek didn't give him something here.

"I just thought …" He felt his blush deepen and he desperately avoided Stiles' eye.

"Hey." Stiles hand was on his cheek again. "Just tell me."

"I just thought that nipple clamps would go well with this." Derek said, his face burning.

Stiles didn't laugh. But he didn't speak either and the silence was long enough for Derek to worry that he had said something wrong.

He opened his mouth to take it back but then Stiles leaned in to whisper in his ear.

"If you're a good boy today, you'll get your dinner with a side of nipple clamps." Stiles brushed a thumb over his nipple, making the flesh pebble.

Derek felt weak in the knees and his cock twitched in his pants and when Stiles nipped at his neck with a grin, Derek had to bite back a moan.

Stiles let go of him and reached for the gag.

"Color?"

"Green." Derek licked his lips and then opened his mouth willingly for the gag. It wasn't too big, just resting on his tongue, and Derek bit down on the base just to test its give.

Stiles closed the buckle and then stepped back to admire his work.

"Color?" He asked again and Derek gave him one sharp nod to indicate green.

Stiles helped him to kneel down on the pillow he had moved over to the couch and then sat down behind him, his legs bracing Derek from the sides. It was the same position as last week only that Derek had to rely on Stiles for support more since he didn't have his arms to brace himself.

Stiles started a movie but Derek found it hard to focus. Stiles' commentary washed over him but with the gag he couldn't participate, he wasn't expected to participate, so he let Stiles' voice kind of fade to the background.

He found himself relaxing into the rope and Stiles' leg was a solid wall to lean into. Stiles' hands were constantly on him, massaging his neck and scalp or just playing with his hair. It was soothing.

It didn't take long for Derek's head to drop to Stiles' knee and he kind of drifted off.

"Derek?" Stiles rose him. "Wake up."

He wanted to protest that he hadn't been sleeping but there was the gag still in his mouth, preventing him from forming words. He swallowed around it and rubbed his cheek against Stiles' knee to get more alert.

Then he blinked at the screen to check how much he'd missed but that wasn't the movie they had been watching but a documentary about hyenas?

Okay, he might have fallen asleep.

"I'm taking out the gag now." Stiles informed him. Derek had been drooling around it but Stiles had made sure that his head was angled forward so that he hadn't been choking on his own spit.

"Can you stand?"

Stiles helped him to his feet, with his arms still tied and his legs kind of numb from the kneeling Derek needed the help. And then, in a quite motherly fashion, Stiles wiped the drool off his face with a tissue.

And he kissed him again. Derek's mouth still felt tingly from the gag and the kiss was over before he could get his lips to participate.

"Before we have lunch, I want to make sure that you're awake." Stiles groped his ass cheek and gave it a squeeze. "The wolfsbane lotion is in the playroom, I want you to get it."

Derek gave him a stern look and then moved his shoulders to remind him that his hands were tied right now.

"With your teeth."

The heat was back in his cheeks.

Stiles waited patiently for him to make up his mind. He could say no, he knew that, but the glint in Stiles' eye was worth a little humiliation.

Besides, now that Derek was awake, he noticed something even more embarrassing.

"Green." Derek finally said. "But … I kind of need to use the bathroom first."

It had taken Stiles several minutes to put the rope on, it would take at least the same time to take it off and for what they were about to do, neither of them wanted to take it off.

But for sure Derek didn't want Stiles to hold his dick while he peed.

"No problem, I want you without your pants for this anyway." Stiles shrugged as if it wasn't a big deal. "Just get the lotion first."

Derek got the lotion and knowing what was coming next, he didn't really care about how he looked with the bottle in his mouth. Then Stiles helped him to step out of his pants and sent him off to relieve himself. The doors were all open and Derek could just march into the bathroom and sit down on the toilet.

It did feel kind of weird, walking around the suite naked, with his dick flopping around, but there was only Stiles there to see so he didn't really mind.

Stiles was waiting for him on the couch and when Derek came closer, he patted his knee.

"Bend over."

Without his hands Derek couldn't brace himself but Stiles kept him in balance with a strong grip on a knot between his shoulder blades.

"I'm going to put on the lotion now." Stiles informed him.

By the time Stiles was done with the preparation for the spanking, Derek's dick was half-hard and it didn't help that it was trapped underneath him with Stiles' jeans adding some sweet friction.

It didn't get any better when he started to squirm under Stiles' hand painting his ass red. Derek felt the heat and the sting increasing with every blow and he was pushing into every hit.

Stiles had started off easy, warming him up, but now he was hitting him hard and fast and something uncurled in Derek's guts. Tears were running down his face, his throat was raw and he was shamelessly rubbing off on Stiles' thigh now.

Then he felt his last bit of control slip away.

"Yellow."

Immediately Stiles stopped and a soothing hand came down to his sweaty neck.

"Derek?" Stiles asked, his thumb painting little circles on Derek's skin.

"I just need a second." Derek focused on his breathing, fighting for control.

"What's wrong?" Stiles was already shifting to ease him off his lap.

"I'm losing control." Derek hung his head in shame.

"That's kind of the point."

A second ago he had been dry-humping Stiles without even realizing, proof that he'd lost control over his body a while ago. But there was control and then there was control.

"I was about to shift." Derek took a deep breath. "I'm good now, you can continue."

"Derek." Stiles' fingers combed through his hair. "You can shift, it's okay. Just let go."

Derek didn't quite believe him but from this angle Stiles wouldn't be able to see his face so maybe it was okay this time.

"You can lose control, it's okay, I got you." Stiles' hand moved downward, fingertips bumping over the rope and then the smooth skin of his lower back until he reached the heated flesh of Derek's ass.

"Color?"

"Green." He wanted to believe that it was okay.

Stiles found his rhythm again and Derek let go.

He let his body do whatever it wanted and he let his mind float.

Stiles was in control, Derek could just be.

At one point he was begging Stiles to make him come. His clawed hands were clenching helplessly and the plea came out through his fangs with a growl.

Of course Stiles didn't touch him like that. But he did alter the pacing of the spanking to match Derek moving against his thigh.

Derek came with a howl and Stiles spanked him through the aftershocks. When Derek went limb, Stiles caught him and gently eased him to the ground.

"I'm sorry." Derek said when his face was human again.

"No need to be sorry." Stiles kissed the top of his head. "You were perfect."

It still felt like a failure, especially when Stiles started to untie him. It did take him several minutes and by the time Derek's arms fell to his sides, he was more or less coherent again. Stiles guided him over to the bathroom to clean up but he didn't wash off the lotion and didn't put the soothing one on either. The pain sat deep in his muscles, making him hiss with every move, and it would stay that way for the rest of the day.

Then they had lunch.

"Have a seat." Stiles offered him a place at the table with a wicked grin. Reluctantly Derek sat down and like expected his butt didn't like it very much. Throughout the meal he shifted from one cheek to the other, trying to find a position he could stand for longer than a few seconds. The lotion really did its job, the pain was a constant throb deep in his flesh and his pants felt like sandpaper on his skin.

Stiles didn't comment on it but he enjoyed every second of Derek's discomfort, that much was obvious.

Derek almost jumped out of his chair the second Stiles declared the meal finished. If they could go back to kneeling it would be easier on him. But no such chance.

"Take the chair with you." Stiles ordered and went to start the PlayStation. Then he handed Derek a controller. "Every time you die means ten with the flogger later."


	24. Chapter 24

Derek died four times.

He couldn't sit still with his butt still throbbing and he couldn't really focus on anything than that deep ache in his muscles but he did manage to not die too often in the game they were playing. He didn't even know what they were playing, some kind of shooter, and he didn't really care.

He didn't play good but most of the time he managed to stay alive. It went better than expected. He had the suspicion that they were playing on easy, though. Not that he was complaining.

The one good thing about being distracted like this was that he didn't have the mind to think about what had happened earlier. They had a strict no sex rule and the last thing he wanted to do was to add some mindless sex to their arrangement. And still he had begged Stiles to make him come and then he had humped his leg like a horny dog.

 _Like the dog you are._ Her voice echoed through his mind. _And with your fangs out, no less._

Derek ground his ass deliberately into the chair. The pain flared up, filling his mind, and the memory of her faded away. At least for now.

When Stiles finally called it quits on the game, Derek breathed easier.

"Four times, not bad." Stiles said and stepped behind Derek. His hand found a nipple and he rolled the nub between his fingers. Derek bit back a moan when he remembered the promised nipple clamps.

"You did good today, I'm proud of you. You earned yourself a reward." Stiles' other hand found the other nipple and for a moment he was just rolling and pinching them, sending delicious sparks of pain to Derek's groin. He pushed into Stiles' fingers which brought the pain in his butt back to life and he just let his head fall back against Stiles' stomach with a groan.

"But before we do that, I want another one of your foot rubs." Stiles gave his nipples one last tug before he let go of them.

Derek let out a frustrated noise but jumped at the chance to get out of the chair. Sitting on the couch for the foot rub would be a relief for his butt.

Stiles still had a come strain on his jeans, a bitter reminder of Derek's slip, so Derek tried to make it up to him with the massage. By now he knew Stiles' spots and how he liked his food rubs and in a matter of minutes Stiles was a purring puddle of happy goo. Derek couldn't help a proud grin.

It was almost time for dinner when Stiles came around.

"I want to tie you up again." He reached for the rope that lay in a tangled heap on the ground. "Pretty much like earlier but a bit tighter. Color?"

"Green."

"What about the clamps?" He asked, looping the rope over his hand and elbow to straighten it out.

"I'd like that." Derek admitted, heat spreading out over his face again.

Stiles took his time to expertly tie Derek up again. The position was the same as in the morning but now he used a different technique. The rope forced Derek's arms higher up his back, pushing out his chest at the same time, and all in all the rope was tighter around him. Lines of rope went right under his pecs, forcing them up and with that presenting his nipples even more. Others cut into the muscle right above, completing the frame.

When he was done, Stiles stepped back to admire his work.

"Beautiful." He breathed out. Derek almost asked him to take a picture so that he could see it later. Maybe next time.

Then came the clamps. Stiles didn't tease him any longer, he just got the clamp in position and let go.

Derek sucked in a breath at the sudden lance of pain and Stiles waited him out before he put the second clamp on.

"So pretty." He tugged at the chain connecting the clamps and Derek bit back a pained moan.

Using the chain as some kind of leash Stiles lead Derek over to the playroom where he made him kneel down in the middle of the room.

"Wait here until our dinner is ready." Stiles instructed him and with one last tug at the chain he left him alone.

He left the door open so that Derek could still see him while he ordered their food. Only when the food arrived, he closed the door but kept it ajar. Derek could hear everything that was going on in the other room and he knew that he didn't even have to raise his voice if he needed Stiles' attention.

The second they were alone again, Stiles was back, forcing him to his feet with the chain. He gave it a little jiggle just for the fun of it and Derek cursed under his breath.

"Watch your mouth or I'll add ten with the flogger later." Stiles threatened and gave the chain another forceful tug. Derek bit his bottom lip to keep the words in.

They had dinner the same way they had breakfast with the only difference that Stiles played with the chain between bites now. He fed him by hand and Derek shamelessly licked his fingers clean every chance he got.

By the time they were done, Derek's chest was on fire and he was covered in sweat. Every breath sent electric bolts through his nipples and he had tears in his eyes. It didn't stop his rock hard cock from soaking his pants with precome, though.

"You're doing so good." Stiles cupped his cheek. "You're so good."

Derek choked back tears at those words and leaned into Stiles who just held him for a moment.

Later, after Stiles had given him the promised forty with the flogger on his already sore ass and Derek might have come again from that, he wasn't sure, he fell into bed with Stiles and was asleep before Stiles was even done with rubbing the soothing lotion into his tender skin.

He woke up in Stiles arms, naked and with a deep seeded ache in his behind but relaxed and at ease.

Stiles was awake, studying him.

"Morning." Derek mumbled, his throat still raw.

"Morning." From somewhere Stiles got a glass of water which Derek drank greedily. "How do you feel?"

"Good." He put the empty glass on the nightstand next to his cuff. He hadn't even noticed that he wasn't wearing it any longer. "Really good." He dropped back into the pillow, he didn't feel like moving just yet.

"Can we talk about yesterday?"

The talking was Derek's least favorite part of this but he got that it was important. Especially since he had messed up so badly yesterday. Stiles had let it slide but he needed to keep his shift under control, he knew that. And his dick, but that was the smaller problem.

He gave Stiles a nod, they could talk about it.

"When I was spanking you, you asked me to touch you." Stiles went right for it. "You asked me to make you come. Do you know why I didn't do it?"

"Because I was shifted." Derek stared at the ceiling, he couldn't look Stiles in the eye for this. "It's disgusting."

Stiles was silent for a moment but his heart was beating rapidly as if he was struggling with the things he wanted to say.

"Because it was a hard limit for you." Stiles said. His hand found its way into his hair again and gently he urged Derek to look at him. "The kisses earlier were pushing the limits, we've been pushing them a lot lately, but touching you like that? That would be bulldozing over your limits. I won't do that, I can't do that."

"I asked you to do it." Derek reminded him.

"In the middle of a scene." He burst out. "Neither of us was in the condition to discuss something like that."

He studied Derek for a long moment, searching for the right words but his fingers never stopped playing with Derek's hair. He didn't want to know how he looked by now, Stiles had been constantly messing with his hair yesterday and sleeping hadn't helped, that much was for sure.

"We can add sex stuff to the scenes." Stiles said carefully. "If you want to go there."

Derek was almost sure that he had come twice yesterday so saying no was probably stupid but still …

"I can't." He closed his eyes.

"If you don't want to, that's okay." Stiles hand wandered down to his neck, gently loosening the tight muscles there.

"I want to." He did, badly. "But I … I can't."

Patiently Stiles waited for him to continue speaking and when Derek just rolled towards him he found open arms waiting for him.

"What I had with her." He finally said into Stiles' chest. "It can't be like that. I can't do that. I can't."

Stiles held him close, rubbing his back.

"It's okay. We won't do anything you're not comfortable with."

This was stupid. But in the aftermath of their session and with the memories of her bubbling to the surface, he felt like an open wound, bare and vulnerable.

Derek did want more. He wanted to have sex with Stiles but if that was the only thing, he couldn't just go for it.

"Could we …" He started but backed out immediately. This was so pathetic.

"Whatever you want." Stiles assured him.

"Could we get to know each other first?" Derek asked. He was lying naked in the other man's arms, this was basically the end point of getting to know each other. "Not as boss and employee or dom and sub, just as us? Stiles and Derek?"

"You mean like dates?" If there was amusement in Stiles voice Derek didn't notice it. Or he just didn't want to hear it.

"Yes?" He asked hesitantly.

"Derek Hale, I'd love to go on dates with you." Stiles hooked a finger under his chin and urged him to look at him.

Derek held his gaze for a long moment and then, because he felt bold, he leaned in for a kiss. There was no heat behind it, no urgency and no intention for it to lead to more. It was just kissing.

Gladly Stiles caught on and didn't try to turn it into something it wasn't.

They kissed for a while, just lazy, slow kisses, and when they parted Stiles looked at him with something in his eyes that made Derek feel warm all over.

"There is something you said earlier." Stiles finally broke the moment. "Could you shift for me?"

"Why?" Humans usually were either afraid of him or they were disgusted.

He had shifted a few times before but every time Stiles had been too distracted to really notice. Derek wasn't sure how Stiles would react but he didn't want to ruin what he just got by reminding Stiles of his nature.

"You safe-worded when you were about to shift." Stiles reminded him. "And you thought that I wouldn't touch you because you were shifted. That I was disgusted by it."

Stiles had told him another good reason for not touching him but that didn't mean that it was the only reason.

"You don't have to but I'd like to see you." Stiles said softly.

Derek searched his face but didn't find anything but kindness. Maybe …

He was a fool to hope but he closed his eyes and let his features shift. His teeth grew and he felt his bones move under his skin. When he opened his eyes, they were glowing blue, he knew that.

Stiles didn't shy back and he didn't turn away.

He raised his hand, silently asking permission, and then his fingertips were on his face, tracing the outlines of his forehead.

"You are a werewolf." He stated. "This is part of who you are."

"You don't hate it." Derek realized. He didn't dare to move, didn't dare to breathe, to not break this moment.

"I love it. Thank you for showing me." And then he did the unthinkable. Stiles leaned in and kissed his fangs.


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N** _I'm sorry for the delay, I was (am) a little sick and couldn't post a chapter on Monday. So today this chapter and "Human is Just a Word" on Saturday. Next week we'll be back on the regular schedule._

* * *

Derek couldn't move. Stiles was kissing him. His fingers ghosted over the thick ridges of Derek's forehead while he ran his tongue over his fangs and sucked at his bottom lip.

Shifted like this Derek wasn't able to actually participate in the kiss but he was too stunned to do anything but lay there and let Stiles do whatever he wanted to do anyway.

Even when he let his features melt back to human and his mouth was properly shaped for kissing again, Derek could only lay there in awe while Stiles explored his mouth. Both hands in his hair, gently holding him in place, Stiles kissed him for a moment longer before he eased off and came up to look him in the eye.

"I like you." He said, his lips shiny and his cheeks pink. "I like every part of you."

Derek just studied him for a long moment, unable to speak. Nobody ever had accepted him like this, nobody ever had given him the feeling that he really liked him, every aspect of him, that he really cared about him. And here was Stiles.

"And just to make this clear." Stiles broke the moment for which Derek was grateful. "If you lose control over your shift during a scene, that's not failure. It's success. It means that I can take away that last bit of control you. Do you have any idea what that means? When you trust me enough to give up that control? How I feel when I can take you there?" His eyes were bright and he smelled of arousal just from talking about it. "Derek, do you have any idea how amazing you are?"

He didn't but Stiles was happy so it was okay.

Late they went to their own bathrooms to shower. The hot water washed away the last traces of the wolfsbane lotion and with that the ache in Derek's butt, the flogger on top of his already sore ass had been amazing, and for a moment Derek just stood under the hot spray and let the jets work over his neck and back. His fingers found their way to his nipple and he gave it a hard pinch, thinking of the nipple clamps. That pain had abated the second Stiles had taken the clamps off and Derek couldn't help but wonder what it would feel like if they had used the lotion for that as well. Maybe he should asked Stiles next time.

Derek finished his shower before he got too distracted and then joined Stiles for breakfast.

"I was thinking about our first date." Stiles licked syrup off his fingers. Derek couldn't look away. "The weekend is too busy, we can't just leave then but what about Monday?"

"Sounds good." Thoughtfully Derek chewed on a stripe of bacon. So far it had all been Stiles. At work he was the boss and in their scenes he was the dom so maybe it was time to be in charge for a change. Derek glanced at Stiles before his next words, not sure if the other man would like his idea.

"I want to take you out." The words rushed out of his mouth. "If that's okay."

"I'd like that." Stiles agreed easily.

Derek had no idea where he wanted to take Stiles but he had a few days to come up with something.

"There's one other thing we need to talk about." Stiles changed the topic. "What about our Wednesdays?"

"What do you mean?" Derek asked carefully, dread settling in his stomach. Did Stiles want to take that away?

Probably knowing what was going on in Derek's head, Stiles reached over to take Derek's hand and brush his thumb over his knuckles.

"We can put that on hold until we had a few dates." Stiles said, watching him closely. "And then we decide if we want to add sex or not."

It sounded like a reasonable idea, especially since Derek couldn't make up his mind if he wanted to turn this into something sexual or not. On the other hand, he really liked what they were doing and he didn't want to stop.

"We could add sex now." Stiles listed another option. "Or we could just go on like before."

Derek snorted at the last one. "That's not really working any longer, isn't it?"

"Not really." Stiles chuckled. "I had to clean up your come twice yesterday." It didn't sound like an accusation. "And I'd really like to jerk off right there with you and not sneak out after you fell asleep."

Derek didn't even know that Stiles did that but it made sense.

"You can stay for that." He felt the blush on his face and he couldn't look at Stiles. "I don't mind." Actually he would love to see that. Maybe Stiles would come all over him? Over his throbbing ass? Over his face?

And now he was half-hard in his pants just from the pictures in his mind.

"You don't mind." Stiles repeated the words with a knowing smile. He could probably tell how much Derek didn't mind.

Hastily Derek tried to get over the moment by hiding behind his cup of coffee.

"Anyway." Stiles returned to his pancakes. "Wednesday?"

Derek didn't know.

"Can we decide about that after our date?"

"Sure." Stiles said around half a pancake. Syrup was running down his chin and Derek had to look away or he would just lick it off his face. "But I'm telling you now, we won't do anything we haven't discussed beforehand."

Another survey, then. Derek let out a groan. That had been embarrassing enough the first time around and it hadn't even covered the juicy bits.

Derek had no illusion about where this was heading. They had been crossing into sexual for a while now and it was only a matter of time until they would have actual sex. Derek was just not sure if he was ready for that just yet and if not what to do in the meantime.

Like always the weekend was busy and Derek welcomed the distraction.

Even when a semi famous actor invited Stiles to a party on short notice and when he dragged Derek along with him, Derek didn't really mind.

He did, however, look up the actor in question to at least know a thing or two about their host but it turned out that he had been in two mediocre teen romance movies Derek had no intention to ever watch and he was now in his fifteen minutes of fame as a teenage girls' wet dream.

Derek forgot his name the second he put his phone away but he wouldn't have to interact much with the host or the other guests anyway.

Saturday evening Derek put on a gray suit that brought out his eyes according to Stiles and a black shirt. He wasn't sure about the eyes thing but it worked well with the cream suit and dark red shirt Stiles was wearing. They would stick out like this but that was kind of the point. Stiles loved to stick out. And he wanted people to notice Derek as well, they had a deal after all.

Isaac was their driver again and Derek wouldn't have minded switching with him. Waiting in the car sounded way more appealing than a loud party. At least it wasn't at a club.

Derek followed Stiles into the house the actor had rented for this occasion, he doubted that a low key actor had the money to actually live here but this was Vegas, it was all about showing off.

Stiles knew quite some people. He shook hands and gave little kisses, while Derek stayed one step behind him. They hadn't even seen their host yet and Stiles was animatedly talking with a group of people while others were already hovering in the background, waiting for a chance to say hello.

Stiles expertly cut the conversation short without putting anybody off and meandered over to the next group. He did that every night at the Red, it came naturally to him.

Nobody addressed Derek directly but there were glances in his direction and he caught a whispered comment or two. The rumor mill was working even outside the Red as well, exactly what Stiles had wanted. Derek ignored it and tried to focus on the people coming up to Stiles. It wasn't really in his job description but he was kind of a bodyguard as well so he stayed alert.

Alcohol did nothing for Derek but when a waiter came around, he grabbed two glasses of champagne and handed one to Stiles. He matched Stiles' pace with the drinks just to blend in but he noticed that the other man didn't drink that much either. He was more holding his glass than actually drinking which successfully prevented him from people who might wanted to offer him another drink.

"Never get drunk on occasions like his." Stiles whispered to him and raised his half-full glass at him in a mock salute.

Derek didn't know what could happen but he was glad that Stiles wasn't here to get plastered.

Not everybody felt the need to stay sober and later that evening people were clearly drunk.

At one point Derek slipped out to the bathroom and when he left, he almost ran into a woman standing right outside the door. Blond hair and a face made of harsh lines and sharp angles, the kind of woman that always struck a wrong chord in Derek. He tried to duck around her.

"I've been waiting for you." Her alcohol breath hit him in the face and she was too close for comfort. "How about a quickie in the bathroom?" Her hand slipped under his jacket and she put something into the pocket there.

Without a word he brought some distance between them and gave her back the folded bills. He didn't even check how much she thought a quickie with him cost.

"Don't play shy." She was on him again, reaching for the front of his pants. "I bet you want to get your dick wet for a change. He doesn't need to know." She tried to whisper the last part but was too drunk to accomplish that.

She placed a wet kiss on his mouth and tried to drag him back to the bathroom.

"I'm not interested." He stepped back. Her perfume mixed with the smell alcohol made him sick but she didn't back off.

"You little shit." She hissed at him, her hands all over him. "You think you're too good for me? You're going to take my money and you're going to fuck me like the cheap whore you are." She brought her mouth to his ear. "You don't want me to scream, don't you?" She licked his ear lobe with a grin. Derek shuddered in disgust.

She didn't look like her, not really, but for sure she acted like her and that was enough to bring back memories. It was more likely that he would throw up on her than to get an erection but she would probably just put him on his knees to eat her out, laughing at him for not getting it up. She had done that before.

Derek stood frozen, he didn't know what to do. They were alone in the hallway. He heard the music and the voices of the people only a few feet away but here he was alone with her.

Nobody would believe that she was attacking him and not the other way around. And even drunk like she was, she knew it. Sure that she had won, she dragged him towards the bathroom again.

His brain kind of stopped working and he wasn't even sure which woman was dragging him along but he knew one thing. He couldn't follow her into that bathroom. He didn't care if she screamed, he didn't care what people would think of him, he would not go in there with her.

He did the only thing he could think of. The moment she opened the door, he pushed her. She stumbled into the room but caught herself on the sink. Speechless she stared at him, shock and clear disbelieve in her eyes, but before she could recover, Derek slammed the door shut. He was half-way to the car when she started screaming.

"What happened?" Startled Isaac almost dropped his phone when Derek yanked the door open and crawled in the back seat. "Where's Stiles?"

Derek couldn't answer. He had her perfume in his nose and could still feel her hands all over him. He just had enough sense to lean out of the still open door before he threw up.


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N** _This is the last chapter I've written so far for this story. My priority at the moment is to finish "Human is Just a Word" so I won't be working on "Gambling Debts" for the rest of the month._

 _However, November is NaNoWriMo and my first goal for that is to finish "Gambling Debts"._

 _So, this story is on hold for a few weeks but there will be more in November._

* * *

"Shit."

Distantly Derek heard a car door and then there were hands on him again. He jerked back, away from the person looming over him.

"Derek." It was a male voice, that was good, but it took him long moments to realize that it was Isaac's.

"It's me." Isaac said. "It's okay, you're safe."

He was crouching in the open car door now but wasn't trying to touch him again. He was blocking the way out but Derek felt the handle of the other door in his back and he knew that he could get out that way if he wanted to. Not that he did but it was good to know that he could.

He didn't know where she was, didn't even know which woman he was referring to, but for now he felt safe in the car. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. The sour taste of vomit covered up the taste of her lipstick but he could still feel her lips on his, her tongue on his ear and her hands …

Cold sweat made his shirt cling to his body and he was heaving again, not sure if he would throw up again or not.

"Derek." Isaac's voice pulled him back. "You're safe. Just breathe. Whatever happened, it's over. You're here with me. You're safe."

The words washed over him without making any sense. Then there was a buzzing noise but that could be his own blood rushing in his ears.

"Your phone." Isaac said. "I'm going to take it out of your pocket now."

He did just that, with a long arm and without crowding or touching Derek too much.

"Hey, Stiles." Isaac answered the phone for him. "He's with me in the car."

Derek shifted in his seat until he sat properly and could brace his elbows on his knees. Breathing was easier like this and he trusted Isaac to handle the situation for now.

"I don't know what happened." Isaac spoke again after a moment. "But something freaked him out."

Isaac listened for a moment and then he ended the call.

"Stiles is coming." He placed the phone next to Derek. "Time to go home."

By the time Stiles reached the car Derek was still shaking but he was there enough to know how embarrassing this was. And he wondered what had happened in the house after he had left.

Stiles climbed in the backseat next to him and Isaac had the car started before Stiles had closed the door. Derek didn't even lift his head but something in his chest eased off when the car started to move.

"Derek?" Stiles asked.

"What …" His voice broke and he had to clear his throat and swallow a few times to continue. "What did she tell them?"

"Aside from cursing like a sailor?" Stiles shrugged and inched closer. "Not much. I think she tried to tell us that you attacked her but before that she yelled for you to come back and take her money. Everybody heard her screaming that she paid for a good fuck." The disgust in his voice was clear. "She's too drunk and angry to get her story straight. Not that I would have believed her."

At that Derek slumped in to himself, relief washing over him. Stiles believed him.

He still felt her saliva sticking to his ear and face and he needed to wash her scent off but at least she didn't manage to get him in trouble.

Small mercies, he thought, hysterical laughter bubbling in his chest. He was shaking all over, not sure if he wanted to dive into a full blown panic attack or throw up again, maybe both, and now he was crying but at least she didn't get him in trouble. The sarcasm got lost somewhere in his sobs.

"Can I touch you?" Stiles asked and Derek considered the question for a moment before he nodded.

Gently Stiles slung his arm around his shoulders and drew him close. He didn't speak, he just held him for the rest of the ride.

"Need any help?" Isaac asked when he was holding the door open for them.

"I got this, thanks." Stiles said and let go of Derek just long enough for them to get out of the car.

When they were finally alone in the suite, Derek let out a shaky breath.

Somehow he managed to peel off his clothes and to get the shower going. The hot water burned away the traces she had left on him.

It wasn't that late in the evening and he really didn't want to be alone right now, so Derek toweled off and then put on some soft sweat pants and a t-shirt and went back out to the living room. He hoped to find Stiles there and he didn't get disappointed.

Stiles had changed into something comfortable as well and was now lounging on the couch with the TV on but he muted it when Derek entered the room. Without a word he made room for Derek on the couch and the second he was sitting, Stiles was plastered to his side again.

She had done the same earlier but this was different. This was good.

"Want to talk about it?" Stiles asked softly.

"Not really." Derek said and braced himself for Stiles to push and poke. By now he should know better.

"Okay." Stiles said and just hugged him closer. "Want to watch something?" He nodded towards the TV.

Derek took the remote and after some channel surfing he settled for a cooking show, nothing bad ever happened on cooking shows, and a minute later they lay on the couch together.

Stiles just dragged him down with him and wiggled around until they were lying stretched out, Derek on top of Stiles with his head on his chest and his legs slotted between Stiles'.

It was weird how not weird it was but Derek was suddenly too tired to care. Besides, it felt nice.

For a while neither of them spoke. They were just watching the show and Stiles was playing with his hair.

"She wanted sex." Derek finally said, eyes fixed on the screen where the chef was explaining how to tell if an avocado was ripe enough. "She tried to pay me but when I said no …" He choked on the words. "She said she would scream."

"Did she hurt you?" Stiles asked.

"I pushed her into the bathroom and shut the door. Then I left." The tightness around his chest was back and he had to force the air into his lungs.

"You did the right thing."

"I froze, I didn't know what to do." Derek admitted, eyes still fixed on the screen but he couldn't tell what was going on any longer. "It's stupid."

"It reminded you of her?" Stiles asked and Derek couldn't help but wonder how often he had mentioned her for Stiles to make that connection.

"She never asked, she just took." He said and then reached for the remote to turn up the volume, that was something he really didn't want to talk about.

Stiles took the remote out of his hand and tuned the TV back down to a level that didn't hurt their ears but he got the message and didn't ask farther.

They watched TV and it didn't take long for Stiles to start commenting on what was going on on the screen. Derek just relaxed and let the stream of words wash over him.

When Stiles nudged him to get up, he was almost asleep and he needed a moment to remember why he was lying this intimately on the couch with Stiles.

But of course it came back to him immediately and with that he uneasy feeling in his stomach was back. The thought of lying in his bed alone with nothing but his thoughts didn't make it any better.

"I'll just stay here for a while longer." He said, taking over the remote.

Stiles stood, ready to go to bed, but he paused, studying Derek closely.

"Do you want to sleep in my bed tonight?" He offered quietly.

For a moment Derek just stared at him. He felt his throat working but no sound came out of his mouth. However, Stiles must have read something in his expression because he just held out his hand to Derek.

Swallowing thickly Derek took it and let Stiles lead him to his bedroom.

They had slept in the same bed a few times before but that had been in the playroom, neutral ground. This was Stiles' bed. This was different.

"I promise to not hog the covers." Stiles said with a grin and a minute later they were in bed together. Derek lay on his back, staring at the ceiling and no clue where to put his hands.

"Relax." Stiles lay a hand on his chest. "It's just me."

They settled in and once Derek had found a comfortable position he drifted off to sleep rather quickly. It might have to do with the fact that Stiles was spooning him from behind, making Derek the little spoon.

Waking up in Stiles' bed with Stiles' butt touching his butt didn't feel weird either. Neither of them sported some inappropriate morning wood and they just said good morning and started their day.

Stiles didn't mention the night before and when they met up with Isaac, he gave Derek a look, checking on him, but he seemed satisfied with what he saw and didn't mention it either.

The Sunday went by like any other day, with meetings, unhappy guests and when they hit the floor that evening, they had to deal with a cheater.

That night Derek slept in is own bed and after the stressful day, he slept like a baby.

Mondays were usually not as busy as the weekend and this one was no exception but they had their date planned for this evening and Derek couldn't stop thinking about it. Especially if he should change plans last minute and just take Stiles out to a nice restaurant. But it was their first date and he wanted it to be special.

Stiles didn't ask what Derek had planned but when they returned to the suite to get ready, he asked how to dress.

"Casual." Derek answered and with that it was final. He was doing this. He just hoped that Stiles would like it. "One of your graphic shirts and jeans will be fine."

The way Stiles' eyes lit up at that gave him hope that he was doing the right thing.

Derek went to get dressed himself, jeans, henley and his leather jacket, and then they met in the living room again.

"You know." Stiles rubbed the back of his head, making a face. "You're supposed to pick me up and later when I ask yours or mine, it's not supposed to mean your room or mine."

"What makes you think that I won't just give you a good night kiss and leave?" Derek raised an eyebrow at him. "Do you usually put out on your first dates?"

He stepped closer to adjust the plaid shirt Stiles wore over his band shirt but that was only an excuse to get close enough for a kiss, they bot knew it and Stiles grinned before he brought their lips together.

"I've seen you naked and I know the sounds you make when you come." Stiles pointed out. "Just want to make us even."

"How selfless of you." Derek nipped at his bottom lip. "But maybe our date will be so awkward that we don't want to see each other ever again?"

"Only one way to find out."

They took the Camaro and when Derek parked the car at their destination he held his breath for Stiles reaction.

Stiles peered out of the window.

"Derek Hale, did you take me to an arcade for our first date?"

"Kind of?" Derek cringed. Maybe this hadn't been such a good idea after all. "We can go somewhere else if …" He was cut off by Stiles kissing him.

When they parted Stiles was grinning at him as if Christmas had come early this year.

"I love you." Stiles kissed him again and then he was off, leaving a stunned Derek in the car.


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N** _I'm back._

 _There will be weekly updates again from now on but I still have to figure out a schedule._

* * *

I love you.

Three little words thrown at him so absently, so naturally. Stiles had said them without even realizing. Without waiting for a response and for sure without a hidden agenda behind them.

Derek sat there, stunned, when he realized that Stiles meant those words. They were fact to him. The sky is blue, the grass is green, I love you.

He got out of the car, made sure to lock it and then slowly followed Stiles inside.

It was almost as bad as hitting the floor. Electronic noises filled the air, lights flashed in the otherwise poorly lit room and the smell of too many people and greasy food clogged Derek's nose the second he took a breath.

"Derek!" Stiles waved him over to where he was changing his money into coins. He got a whole bucket.

"These are no slot machines." Derek reminded him with a raised eyebrow.

Falling back into easy banter he put Stiles' words to the back of his mind. This was their first date, they were here to have fun. Which reminded him.

"Shouldn't I be the one who pays?" He pointed at the bucket brimming with coins. He had no idea how much it was but Stiles wasn't supposed to pay for anything today.

"You can pay for the food." Stiles replied easily. And then he was dragging Derek to the first game.

He had known that he would end up playing and he was prepared to suck and let Stiles make fun of him. What he wasn't prepared for was to actually have fun with the games they played.

Of course Stiles had played most of them before, he was showing Derek his favorites, and he was better than Derek but he had to say, he wasn't that bad either. Probably due to the fact that Stiles had roped him into playing video games on a regular basis lately.

Derek was wrong with one thing, though. These games ate up coins almost as fast as slot machines and it didn't take long for the bottom of the bucket to show.

Or it was due to the fact that they had been in here for over three hours, Derek realized when he checked the time.

"Food or refill?" He had to raise his voice to be heard over the beeping of the game Stiles was currently playing. He shook the almost empty bucket to show what he meant.

"Food." Stiles yelled back but his attention was on the game.

Derek watched him play. Or rather he was watching those long fingers operating the controls. Warmth pooled in his groin just thinking of other things those fingers could operate. And knowing where this evening was most likely heading didn't really help.

So it was almost a relief when _game over_ flashed on the screen and they headed over to the food area in the back. It was quieter here, not by much but enough to have a conversation without yelling.

Derek bought them double cheeseburgers with extra onion and curly fries on the side, just how he knew Stiles liked it, along with large cokes. He wasn't sure if giving Stiles caffeine was a good idea, he was hyperactive as he was, but he feared that if he opted for beer, the other option Stiles gave him for his order, Stiles would deem himself too intoxicated for doing more than fooling around later.

"Here." Derek handed Stiles a coke and then he watched with a mix of anticipation and dread how Stiles fed a straw through the plastic lid. Those lips wrapped around a straw would be even worse than watching Stiles' hands, Derek knew it but couldn't look away either.

It was fascinating, Derek had to admit, but not in the way he had expected. Sexy was the last thing coming to mind, his primary thought was more along the lines of "Who the fuck taught this boy to use a straw? And how did he fuck up so badly?"

With a shake of his head Derek turned his attention to his own food and silence fell over the table.

This was the part of the date Derek had kind of feared. When they just sat and ate and when he was supposed to talk to Stiles. Preferably about personal stuff. That was the point of a date, right? To get to know each other. And it didn't make it easier that it had been Derek's idea in the first place. Stiles had been fine with just rolling in the sheets.

So Derek sat there, fiddling with his burger and sweating for something intelligent to say.

"Derek, relax." Stiles reached over and put his hand on Derek's forearm. "It's just me."

Right, this was a first date but not a first date first date. They lived together, they worked together. They had spent countless times just watching TV or playing games. They had kinky sessions. Stiles had seen him naked and he had seen him come. But most of all, they talked. They talked every day and it was easy. So why couldn't he think of something to say now?

Derek let out a breath and gave Stiles a shaky smile.

"I've no idea what I'm doing here." He admitted. With Stiles he felt like he could admit something like this.

"Hey, it's not like I'm the expert at dating either." Stiles gave his arm a squeeze and then returned to his cheeseburger. "I think the last person I asked on a date was Lydia and she shot me down rather quickly." He said it with a fond smile as if it was a good memory.

"But you said you grew out of that crush years ago." And given how young Stiles was, that must have been in his teens. Was he telling him that he hadn't dated since then? Derek couldn't believe that.

"Don't get me wrong." Now it was Stiles' turn to fiddle with his food. "I hooked up a lot and some people I brought home more often than once. But I never really dated anybody."

"Why not?" Derek asked. This was personal but not exactly what he had expected. They were supposed to share stupid things like their favorite movie not something this intimate.

"It's not because of a lack of options." Stiles shifted in his seat, clearly uncomfortable with this topic but he kept talking. "Most people want to be with me because I'm the owner of the Red, I'm their ticket to high society. Or they want me as some kind of sugar daddy who spanks them on occasion and otherwise spoils them rotten." He shook his head. "Nobody ever wants to just date good old Stiles." He tried to play it down with a smile but Derek caught a whiff of sadness coming from him.

"I do."

"I know, big guy." Stiles shook off the bad mood and now his smile was genuine. "I just have no idea why."

"I could say the same thing."

Somehow Stiles managed to navigate them back to familiar terrain and soon Derek was listening to an in-depth rant about the differences between the Marvel comics and the movies.

Then, when there was a lull in their conversation, Derek asked if Stiles was ready to go home and he said yes.

The second they stepped into the suite, Derek backed up Stiles against the nearest wall and slot their mouths together. He had his hands in his hair and Stiles slipped a leg between his and for a moment they just tried to eat each other's faces off.

They aimed for the mouth with wet and hungry kisses, but they took everything they could get their lips on.

When Derek noticed that Stiles was actually licking his beard, he couldn't help it, he laughed. Shaking with laughter he rested his forehead in the crook of Stiles' neck.

"You're not a cat." Derek manage to say. "You don't need to tongue bath me."

"I didn't …"

"You did."

"I've fantasies about your beard, okay?" Stiles burst out.

"Is that so?" And because it was right there, he scraped said beard over the soft skin of Stiles' throat.

Stiles let out a delicious groan so he did it again.

"Bed. Now." Stiles panted into his ear and Derek didn't have to be told twice. He picked him up and carried him over to his room.

When Stiles had mentioned the question of my place or yours earlier, Derek had actually thought about it. He had planned the date, he was in charge tonight so it should be his bed they used.

When he had Stiles naked and eager on his bed, Derek did take a moment to admire the view. Stiles had seen him naked before but this was the first time Derek saw him like this.

"See something you like?" Stiles teased him but let Derek take in the sight of him without a shred of shame. Lean body, smooth skin dotted with moles Derek couldn't wait to explore with his tongue and his erect cock resting against his belly with a bead of precome already shining in the slit.

"I want to blow you." Derek breathed out and leaned in for another kiss.

"What else do you want to do?" Stiles asked between kisses. He drew him close until they lay slotted together with Derek on top.

There was something he was dying to do tonight but he doubted that Stiles would be up for it. Which was okay, as long as it was with Stiles, it would be awesome.

"Derek, whatever it is, you can ask." Of course Stiles had caught on to it. "I'll say no if I'm not into it."

"I'd …" Derek licked his lips. "I'd like to top but it's okay, you don't have to, I know you don't …"

Stiles put his hand over his mouth to stop him from talking.

"That's it?" He asked with a chuckle. "And I thought you'd come up with some kinky shit."

Derek felt the heat creeping into his cheeks and he felt his dick losing interest. Way to ruin the night.

"When I dom, I prefer to top." Stiles said, not letting go of his chin and with that forcing Derek to look at him. His face was open and Derek only sensed honesty coming from him. "But when it's this." He gestured around with his free hand. "I'm versatile." He paused to let the words sink in. Then he removed his hand and placed a kiss on Derek's parted lips.

"So yes, I'd love to have your dick in me tonight." He said and kissed him again. "But there was something about a blow-job first?"

Relief washed over Derek, he hadn't ruined this and Stiles was actually on board with the idea. He kissed Stiles again and then he started to move south.

Derek took his time, littering the skin with kisses on his way, and since he knew about Stiles' little fantasy now, he made sure to let him feel his scruff as well. Stiles let out a filthy groan when Derek scraped over his nipple and Derek gave both nubs the attention they deserved before he went farther down.

At first he ignored Stiles' erection completely, much to his disappointment, and focused on the soft skin of his hip and inner thighs first.

"I'm going to have beard-burn in the weirdest places tomorrow." Stiles moaned and bucked helplessly into thin air.

"You want me to stop?" Derek asked, worried that he was going to far with this. This was more on the kinky side after all and they were supposed to have vanilla sex here.

"Don't you dare."

As an answer he introduced Stiles' balls to his beard.

Stiles went wild.

"I think I could make you come with just this." Derek said in awe, face still firmly pressed against Stiles' most vulnerable parts. Judging by the death grip Stiles had on his hair, it was exactly where he wanted him to be.

"Do it." Stiles keened and closed his legs around him to keep him even more firmly in place.

Not backing down from that challenge Derek nudged his balls again with his cheek before he placed his chin at the base of Stiles cock. Slowly, experimenting with the pressure, he moved up the shaft until he reached the tip leaking with precome. He dipped his tongue in the slit before he carefully worked it with his beard.

The sounds Stiles made were almost enough to make him come.

Stiles, however, did come on the down stroke, when the hairs bristled against his skin.

When Stiles went limp under him, Derek crawled back up for more kisses but Stiles changed direction and started to lick his own come out of his scruff instead.


	28. Chapter 28

"If that's your idea of a blow-job, I'm kind of worried of your idea on how to top." Stiles said, lazily carding his fingers through Derek's hair.

"You're the one with fantasies." Derek pointed out and shifted to adjust his own erection. So far this had been about Stiles and it had been good but his cock was aching for some attention.

Seeing his problem, Stiles reached down and gave him a few strokes. Derek closed his eyes with a groan.

"I really hope you have some lube around here." Stiles' hand worked him in steady strokes. "Because I'm not going to move any time soon."

Derek had hoped for this outcome of their date so he came prepared. He had lube and condoms in the bedside table. Since he was a werewolf, the latter wasn't necessary, he couldn't carry or transmit any diseases, but most of the time humans felt better with using a condom anyway.

He it held up with a questioning eyebrow but Stiles quickly dismissed it.

"I want to feel your come running out of me later." He said, diseases apparently not even crossing his mind. Stiles never stopped to amaze him.

Derek kissed him just for that and then he popped the cap of the lube. He really needed to get his dick inside of Stiles as quickly as possible now.

He didn't want to hurry through the prep because for one, he had his finger in Stiles and seeing the wrinkled skin snug around his digit and feeling the tight heat was just amazing, and two he didn't want to hurt Stiles. He didn't know how long it had been for him and how much prep he usually needed, better safe than sorry, even when his own dick didn't really like the idea.

"Put another one in." Stiles demanded, clenching around the finger already in him. "Two and I'm good to go."

"I don't want to hurt you." Instead of adding another one, he crooked his finger in search for Stiles' prostate.

"Fuck." Stiles breathed out when he found it and only then Derek added a second finger. And went for the same spot right away.

"I'm ready." Stiles panted only seconds later. Derek wasn't so sure of that but Stiles insisted that he liked a little stretch and burn.

When Derek pushed in, he did it as slowly as he could stand it. Every instinct he had was telling him to just thrust in but he was holding back.

"C'mon." Stiles closed his legs around him, the heels of his feet digging into the small of Derek's back, drawing him closer. "Fuck me. I know you want to."

"I don't want to hurt you." Derek grit out, shaking with the effort to not just do what Stiles wanted. He didn't know what he was asking for.

"You won't." Stiles assured him, hands roaming his back. "I can take it."

"I'm a werewolf." Derek reminded him but he dared to pull back a little and thrust back in.

"I trust you." Stiles said and used his leverage to make Derek's next thrust much deeper and harder than intended. "C'mon, fuck me."

Even if he wanted to, Derek just couldn't hold back any longer. Stiles was just so open and willing under him and he was literally asking for it.

It took an embarrassingly low amount of sharp thrusts until he came buried balls-deep in Stiles, pumping his release deep into him.

Stiles had snugged a hand between them and was stroking himself and just when the last aftershocks rippled through Derek and he was about to catch his breath, Stiles clenched around him in his own orgasm, milking him even more. It was just this side of too much, sending shocks through his groin that were almost painful.

Boneless Derek collapsed but he had at least enough sense left to not drop on Stiles but a little to the side.

"That was amazing." Stiles said once he was able to talk again. Derek just nodded his head into his shoulder.

Only when they started to shiver, Derek got up and went to the bathroom for a washcloth and a towel to clean them up. When he was done, he just dropped everything on the floor, he would take care of that in the morning, and crawled under the covers with Stiles.

He fell asleep with his head on Stiles' shoulder and Stiles' hand in his hair.

The morning after the first night together more often then not was the real test. It was either sneaking out of the place before the other one even woke up or both of them awkwardly searching for their clothes before they parted ways, more often than not for good. In rare cases it was a stay for breakfast which could be even more awkward.

With Stiles none of that happened, mainly because Isaac rang them out of bed at the unholy hour of 7am.

"Isaac?" Stiles mumbled into the phone once he had found it after some blind searching. "What the fuck, you've any idea what time it is?"

Derek was pretty sure that Stiles didn't know what time it was just that it was way too early to be awake.

However, Isaac' next words woke them up rather quickly.

"We have a possible bomb." He said. "We're evacuating. You and Derek have to leave now."

A second later an alarm went off and Derek could faintly hear a message on the speakers a floor below.

They were both stark naked but they didn't waste time with getting dressed properly, they just jumped into the pants they had been wearing yesterday and Derek had the sense to grab their shirts on the way out. He only noticed that they didn't even have shoes on when they were half-way out of the building.

There were other people hurrying outside but at least this early there were no guests in the casino, just the ones staying at the hotel of the Red. Most of those were in similar states of being undressed and not that happy with the rude wakening they had gotten either. Even at this hour there were enough orderlies on shift to deal with those and Stiles and Derek could duck away before anybody recognized the owner of the Red and his assistant.

By now the police was there as well and they were taking over guiding the guest and employees away from the building.

"There's Isaac." Derek spotted the curly shock of hair in the crowd. Their head of security was talking with a man in uniform and a woman dressed for business. She seemed to be the one in charge of this operation.

"Isaac." Stiles gave him a nod. "What's going on?"

"Please step back, sir." The officer tried to shoo them off. "I'm sorry for the inconvenience, you'll be able to go back to your room shortly."

"I'm not a guest." Stiles corrected him, eyes more on the woman and Isaac. "My name's Stiles Stilinski, I'm the owner of this fine establishment. And I really want to know what the fuck is going on here."

If the situation hadn't been this severe, Derek would have laughed at this. The officer didn't seem convinced and the woman was eyeing Stiles, and to an extent Derek as well, taking in the jeans and band t-shirt Stiles was wearing, his bare feet and disheveled hair.

"Stiles is not exactly a morning person." Isaac came to their rescue. "Stiles, this is Detective Morgan." He introduced the woman. "Detective Morgan, these are Mr. Stilinski and his personal assistant Mr. Hale."

"Okay, what's going on here?" Stiles asked once again.

"We got an e-mail this morning, saying that there's a bomb in the building." Isaac summed up the situation.

"What do they want?"

"Nothing." Isaac shrugged, he didn't seemed to be concerned that much. "It's most likely just a prank."

"Let's hope." Stiles was rocking on the balls of his bare feet to get rid of some of the tension without moving too much. By now Derek knew him well enough to know his ticks and tells. "Is everybody out?"

"The building should be empty by now." Detective Morgan answered. "We're waiting for the dogs now. Mr. Lahey might be right and this is just some kind of joke but we have to make sure."

"Of course." Stiles agreed easily but Derek knew that he was already calculating in his head what this meant for business and how he could make it up to unhappy guests.

In the two minutes they had been standing here at least three people had approached them, demanding to know what was going on, but the officer did his job with a fake smile and repeating the same line over and over again.

There was nothing they could do but wait. The building had to be searched before they would be allowed back in and that would take a while.

Apparently the police took this very serious and there were already specialists working on the e-mail to find out who was behind it. Even if this turned out to be nothing but a prank, there would be legal consequences for the culprit.

"Where's Boyd?" Stiles asked, once the detective had excused herself.

"He wasn't in yet." Isaac answered. "I called him. Erica answered the phone so it might take a moment for him to get here."

"If you see him before me, send him my way." Stiles ordered and clapped his hands. "Okay, gentlemen, let's make the best out of this."

From somewhere Isaac produced some shoes and jackets for them so they looked a little more responsible and then Stiles dove headfirst into the crowd to assure his guests that everything was under control and that the police was working on it.

Meanwhile Derek and Isaac were on the phone, calling the hotels nearby. They needed rooms to offer to the ones who wanted to switch hotels and for the rest they needed at least a place to sit and maybe get a cup of coffee and something for breakfast.

At some point Boyd joined them and out of nowhere Derek had Erica in his arms, fiercely hugging him. He hugged her back and even managed to not drop his phone in the process.

"Are you okay?" She asked when she finally let go of him. "Where's Stiles?" She had a worried look around when she didn't see him.

"We're fine." Derek assured her. "It's probably just some idiot who thinks he's funny. We just have to wait until the police has searched the Red." He waved over the crowd. "Stiles is busy with damage control."

"And so are we." Isaac interrupted but not unkindly.

A minute later Derek was back on the phone and Isaac was updating Boyd who then went to help the other employees.

Arrangements made, Derek and Isaac started to tell people the good news that they had rooms and coffee and everything waiting for them and to point them in the right direction.

Most were grateful for an update and a place to wait this out but of course there were others as well. Apparently it was Derek's fault that nobody was allowed back in the Red and that it was his job to fix this. Now.

Derek just plastered a fake smile on his face and let them rant. Working support, in a fast food joint and as a bouncer, he had a lot of experience with just gritting his teeth under his smile and stay polite. In moments like this he really appreciated his current job where this was the exception and not a daily occurrence.

Of course the moment somebody mentioned the bomb threat people started to rant about terrorists and Islamists. Derek felt like a broken record, pointing out that they didn't know anything at the moment and that the police was working on it. He just tried to get those people out of his way as quickly as possible. Those were the ones who already threatened to sue the Red but that was the last thing Derek cared about at the moment.

"Derek." Suddenly Peter stood in front of him. Derek just stood there, not sure how to react. Peter was the last person he'd expected to see. His alpha took a deep breath, not so subtly sniffing the air.

"Hmm." He made with a knowing smile while Derek was painfully aware that he didn't have time to shower after his night with Stiles. He must be reeking of sex. "I see that you're holding your end of the bargain."


	29. Chapter 29

The wolf part of Derek was all "Alpha!" and wanted to wag its tail. He was itching to bury his nose in Peter's neck to take in the scent of his alpha.

But the rest of him was kind of frozen in panic. Was Peter here to drag him back home?

"What do you want?" Derek said after a long second and crossed his arms defensively over his chest.

"You're my beta." Peter stepped closer and for a moment it looked as if he wanted to hug him. But they were out on the street, surrounded by people, so Peter just laid a hand on his shoulder. Derek shivered under the touch. It had been so long since his alpha had touched him.

"I wanted to see you." Peter said in a low voice. They stood close and somehow there had formed a bubble around them. As if the humans knew that this was a private pack moment. Not consciously of course but on some level humans always noticed the apex predators around them especially in moments like this.

"Making sure that I'm working off your debt?" Derek asked in an equally low voice. This was nothing he wanted to discuss in front of an audience.

"Actually." Peter withdrew his hand and stepped aside, mentioning for Derek to follow him. It took only a few steps to get away from the people still crowding the sidewalk and to give them some actual privacy. "I was hoping that you would be done with that by now."

"Why?" Derek asked, dread settling in his stomach. "You have the next one lined up?" It was only partly meant as a sarcastic comment.

Peter didn't answer right away.

"You didn't."

"Well." Peter drew out the word. "Since you left I had to compensate for the money you don't bring in any longer."

"Since I left?" Derek raised his eyebrows at him. "You were the one who set this up. Maybe you should have thought about what would happen to my three jobs that were barely enough to keep us alive when I'm busy working off your debt." He let his anger show in his voice.

"Don't forget who's the alpha here." Peter shot back with a flash of red in his eyes.

Derek felt the muscles in his jaw working and he stood his ground for a moment longer but in the end he lowered his gaze.

"That's what I thought."

The irony was that Derek probably could pay off a good chunk if not all of whatever debt Peter had this time. He hadn't touched the ten grand Stiles had paid for listening to his offer when they had first met and since then his paychecks were just piling up on top of that. The burgers on their date yesterday had been the most expensive thing he'd bought from that so far.

But he doubted that it was a good idea to tell Peter that. On the other hand, if Derek was not mistaken, Peter was here to pimp him out to the next guy he owed money to.

"Mr. Hale." Suddenly Stiles joined them, a broad grin on his face. "What a pleasure."

This was not the Stiles Derek had seen at the arcade, this was the Stiles who successfully managed a casino. This Stiles was a shark, like he called the people at the top of the food chain in this city.

"Mr. Stilinski." They shook hands. "Is this a bad time?"

Derek wasn't sure if he was referring to Stiles' equally disheveled appearance or the fact that they were all standing on the sidewalk with the lights of police cars flashing in the background.

"There's not much I can actually do until the SWAT-team has gone through the building." Stiles shrugged. "You don't happen to know anything about this, don't you?"

"Bomb threats are not my style." Peter dismissed him easily.

Derek doubted that his uncle had anything to do with this, it really wasn't his style and what would he gain from this anyway?

"So, what brings you here at this early hour?" Stiles asked.

"I was wondering when I can have my beta back." Peter came right to the point. "Derek has been at your service for quite a while now, I'm sure you got more than worth the money I owed you."

This wasn't something they should discuss here in the open but Derek was glad that Stiles didn't take them somewhere private. He wanted to get rid of his uncle as quickly as possible.

However, he couldn't shake off the bad feeling he had about this. This was Stiles' chance to get rid of him. They had a fantastic date yesterday and the way their relationship had grown over the last few weeks, Derek was hoping for some kind of future with Stiles. But what if Stiles didn't want that? If this was just a thing they had for a while before they parted ways?

He was pretty sure that his worries were unfounded, Stiles had blurted out an "I love you" just yesterday but he just couldn't help it. So Derek was holding his breath for Stiles' answer.

"Mr. Hale." Stiles said with the friendliness of a shark. "I think you overestimate your nephew's … qualities." He said the last word with a drawl that made Derek blush. He knew that Stiles didn't mean it but it was still humiliating standing here while Stiles and his uncle were talking about him like he was some piece of meat.

"Besides, if I recall correctly, our agreement was that Derek has to do whatever I want until I deem your debt payed off." Stiles said with steel in his voice. "And I have to say, I grew rather fond of him."

Peter considered that for a moment.

"You never had the intention to let him go again." He concluded not without a hint of respect in his voice. If anything Peter respected smart and conning people.

Stiles just smiled.

"Derek is still my beta." Peter tried another angle. "He needs me. For his own sanity. Werewolves need their pack, he might even become dangerous without me."

Strange that he was worried about that now, when he needed Derek to get him out of another predicament, and not when he had given him to a stranger without remorse, Derek thought but didn't say out loud. Not that his opinion was required anyway.

"We can work out a schedule." Peter suggested with a winning smile.

"So you can rent him out by the hour?" Stiles asked. "No."

Peter opened his mouth to object but Stiles shut him up with a raised hand.

"You're Derek's alpha and he needs you, I get that." He said. "I won't stand between you, for Derek's sake. Derek is going to give you a call when and where he wants to see you."

Peter glared at him, his mouth a thin line.

"You can't just set up conditions under which I'm allowed to see my own beta." He said in a dangerous low voice and there was the red again in his eyes.

"For one-hundred thousand dollar he's all yours again." Stiles didn't back down.

Peter just nodded to that.

"However, I understand that you're missing out on Derek's contribution to your pack's income." Stiles didn't point out that said pack only consisted of Peter and Derek. "I might have an idea to help with that, I'll give you a call." With that he turned on his heel. "Derek?"

Derek intended to follow him but Peter grabbed his arm.

"Derek." He pressed the word.

Derek just looked down at the hand on his arm until Peter let go of him.

"I'll call you later." He promised and then hurried after Stiles, leaving his alpha just standing there.

When he caught up with Stiles, he was already talking to Boyd. Derek only caught the end of what Stiles was saying but it looked like he was dumping everything on Boyd and Isaac for half an hour so that he and Derek could have breakfast?

"C'mon, let's sneak out for a moment." Stiles said to him and ducked into an alley. They weren't heading to one of the locations Derek and Isaac had arranged for their guests and Derek was glad about that, they wouldn't get a breather there.

Instead Stiles guided him to a diner Derek had never noticed before. It was a bit hidden and he doubted many tourists found their way here.

With a sigh of relief he sank into a booth at the far end, away from the few other patrons in here. Stiles took the seat across from him.

The waitress brought them coffee and the menus and then left them alone to decide.

"Are you okay?" Was the first thing Stiles said to him since he had dismissed Peter.

"I'm fine." Derek said but deep down he felt shaken and he was sure that Stiles knew that. Peter could ruin everything. He was his alpha, if he ordered him to come home, Derek didn't have any other choice than to obey.

"What I said to him." Stiles made eye contact with him. "You know that I didn't mean it like that, right?"

Derek knew that and he couldn't help but marvel over the fact that Stiles had lied an alpha werewolf in the face. However, thinking about it, had Stiles lied?

He had used questions and had let Peter make his own assumptions but Derek couldn't think of a single thing Stiles had said, that was an outright lie.

Smiling, as if he knew exactly what was going on in Derek's head, Stiles reached for his coffee.

"You should try the pancakes, they're delicious here." He said but then he changed the topic again. "Peter's right, you know that, don't you?" He set the cup aside. "He's your alpha, you need him. And not only for the touch thing."

Derek didn't answer, not sure if he liked where this was heading. He had been sure that Stiles wouldn't kick him out and the way he had dealt with Peter … he had said that he intended to not let him go again. But …

"Stop overthinking." Stiles cut in. "I'm just saying that you should see him once in a while. You don't have to live with him for that."

They had never been a cuddly pack. Even when he had lived with Peter, he had rarely seen him and their interactions had been the bare minimum they both needed to stay sane.

"And that's not the reason he wants you back." Stiles pointed out. "He wants you so you can work off another debt or just bring in money."

It was sad but true. Since the first time had worked so well, Peter now saw it as a valid option to rent Derek out for money.

"So." Stiles drew out the word, making Derek perk up in interest. He sounded like he had a plan. "What if I, out of the goodness of my heart of course, decided to pay you for your services?"

"You already are." Derek didn't get it.

"Yeah, but Peter doesn't know about that."

They were interrupted by their waitress and Derek did order the pancakes much to Stiles' delight.

"No, seriously." Stiles picked up where he had left off as soon as they were alone again. "If I paid you for working as my assistant, you'd be able to give Peter enough money to get him off your back. It would cut off hours you could be working off Peter's debt, of course, basically prolonging your time of service infinitely." Stiles spread his arms. "And everybody will be happy. Peter won't know that you're happy but he doesn't actually care so who cares?" He paused waiting for Derek's reaction. "If you want to stay, that is." He suddenly didn't sound so sure of that any longer. "You can go back to him, if you want to."

"No." Derek shook his head. "I want to stay." After last night he wanted to stay forever. "It's a good plan."

"Thank god."

They finished their breakfast, the pancakes were as good as Stiles had claimed them to be and the noises Stiles were making over eating them did some other things to Derek but they didn't have time for that now. They hadn't even cleared their plates, when first Stiles' phone and then Derek's rang.

Right, they had a bomb threat to deal with.


	30. Chapter 30

It was late in the afternoon when they were finally allowed back in the casino.

However, it would take a while for all the guests to return and the current shift of employees to come in. Boyd had sent home everybody who hadn't been needed, leaving only a small group of people to assist their guests during the wait. Derek guessed it would at least take an hour or two for them to be back to operating on normal.

They had been, and still were, under siege by reporters and PR was working under high pressure on damage control but at least it wasn't Derek who had to go out there and talk to the press.

Stiles had given a statement earlier but he hadn't said much aside from praising the police's work and to confirm that there had been no bomb found and that at no point their guests had been in danger. He also made a point of thanking the staff of the Red for their courageous and levelheaded approach of the situation. Without them there most likely would have been a panic among the guests.

Derek had never been this happy to retreat to the penthouse. It still smelled strongly of the dog that had been searching for a bomb in here and the poor thing hadn't liked the smell of werewolf at all but that was still better than the crowd outside.

"What a mess." Stiles groaned when he dropped on the couch. Derek sat down next to him. Just sitting for a moment felt great, they had been up and on their feet the whole day.

Half an hour later they had freshened up and were back in Stiles' office, with coffee and sandwiches. A real meal would have to wait for later.

Derek's email account alone was overflowing with requests for statements and interviews with Stiles. Some even wanted to interview Derek.

"You're my personal assistant." Stiles shrugged when he showed those to him. "Those hyenas go for everybody who might know something. The next few days 'No comment.' should be your default answer."

"It already is." Derek assured him, thinking of the reporters he'd been dodging all day.

They went back to work but were interrupted only minutes later by Detective Morgan.

"Detective." Stiles greeted her and offered her a seat in front of his desk. "Any news?"

"Our work here is done. There has no bomb or anything else out of place been found in the building." She confirmed.

"That's good to hear." Stiles said with relief in his voice. He had smelled worried all day. The Red had been his mother's, Derek remembered, if anything happened to it …

"Anything on who is behind this?" Stiles asked.

"Our specialists are working on it." She deflected the question. "But I'd like ask you a few questions."

"Anything I can do to help."

"In private." She glanced at Derek who got the hint and was out of his chair a second later. "Don't go too far, I'd like to speak to you next, Mr. Hale." She said not unkindly but with a firm tone.

"I'll be in Isaac's office." With that he was out of the door. He didn't linger to listen to what was happening inside and headed over to Isaac's office instead.

Like expected Isaac was not in there, he and everybody else from security were making their rounds through the building to make sure themselves that everything was in order.

There would be a meeting later where they would discuss how the evacuation had gone and how to improve it next time.

Whatever questions Detective Morgan had for Stiles, they were over them rather quickly so it didn't take long for her to follow him.

"Mr. Hale." She entered the office. "Do you have a minute?"

"Sure." He offered her a chair and made a point of closing his laptop to give her his full attention.

"Mr. Stilinski told me that there had been no threats aimed at the casino." She had her notepad out and was tapping it with a pan. "Can you confirm that?"

"As far as I know, there have been no threats." Derek said. "But I've only been working here for a few weeks, I can't say anything about what happened before I started here. Maybe you should ask Mr. Lahey, he's head of security, he can probably tell you more." However, if Stiles didn't know about any threats Derek was pretty sure that there weren't any.

"He's on my list." She assured him. "But since you've mentioned it, I've heard a few rumors about how you got your job here."

Of course she had heard.

"I know about those." Derek forced a smile on his face. "Rumors, nothing more. I can assure you, I'm here out of my own free will, I have a contract and I get paid for my work."

"What kind of work is that exactly?" She asked while she wrote something in her notepad.

"I'm Mr. Stilinski's personal assistant." Derek was aware of how vague the term was. It was the reason Stiles had chosen that title in the first place, it left room for speculations.

"And you live with him in the penthouse?" Now she looked at him with a curious tilt of her head.

"In the guest room." He didn't like where this was heading. They had searched the whole building, she had seen or at least heard about the playroom, that was for sure. "I fail to see what that has to do with the current situation."

"How would you describe your relationship with Mr. Stilinski?" She didn't back off.

"He's my boss."

"So you're not holding a grudge against him?" She asked bluntly, closely watching his reaction. But he had to disappoint her.

He wasn't holding a grudge, quite the opposite, he might even be in love with Stiles, if he was honest. Which he didn't tell her, of course. Instead he asked: "Am I a suspect?"

He raised a challenging eyebrow at her.

"I have to look in every direction." She back-paddled but Derek could tell that he wasn't off the hook. She didn't bring it back up that bluntly again but she was beating around the bush with her next questions. In the end she had to give up.

"If you can think of anything else, Mr. Hale, give me a call." She handed him her card and with that she left. Derek waited until he was sure that she had left the floor before he went back to Stiles' office.

"I think I'm a suspect now." He dropped back in his chair.

"What?" Stiles almost spilled his coffee over his keyboard.

"She asked if I'm holding a grudge against you." He repeated, suddenly feeling tired. "She's heard some of the rumors. They're working great by the way." Some of Stiles' sarcasm must have rubbed off on him.

"I'll talk to Isaac." Stiles was already typing. "The security logs can confirm that you haven't left the Red over night and while you're here your phone and laptop use our account so we have it on file that you haven't done anything. The police is going through our logs anyway, this shouldn't come up again. And if that's not enough, I can tell the police that we've been together the whole night. But let's keep that as a last resort." It was probably not the best idea to tell Detective Morgan that they had sex and had shared a bed for the night.

"Thank you." Not only for immediately dealing with this but for not doubting him for a second. Derek just hoped that Stiles got what he wasn't able to put in words.

"If she or somebody else comes to you again with this, you don't say a word." Stiles fixed him with a stern look. "Just refer them to our legal department, that's what they're there for."

Stiles came over and sat down on the arm of his chair.

"Don't worry, you're covered." His hand found its way to Derek's hair, his fingers gently scratching his scalp. Derek closed his eyes and leaned into him.

They sat like that for a while, the tension melting out of his body, and Derek wouldn't mind sitting like this for hours, but then there was a knock at the door and the moment was over.

"Work." Stiles sighed. He gave Derek a quick peck on the cheek and then hurried back behind his desk before he let their visitor in.

Who turned out to be Ennis.

Derek tried to not show his surprise, he hadn't even noticed that somebody had been outside until Ennis had knocked. When had he become so careless that he hadn't noticed the approaching werewolf?

His gaze fell on Stiles. They hadn't been in a scene but for a moment Derek had almost slipped into sub mode. He had trusted Stiles to keep watch and take care of him. For a moment Derek had let go.

He was still working out if that was a good or a bad thing while Ennis had already launched into a rant of how disastrous the bomb threat was for their business and their image and basically they were all going to die.

"Let's be honest, the way your people handled it was insufficient at best." Ennis summed it up.

"Ennis." Stiles cut in. "I don't have time for this. What do you want?"

"Maybe you should let more experienced people handle this crisis." Ennis said and Derek almost laughed at that idea.

"You and the rest of the Executive Board don't waste time, don't you?" Stiles leaved through the papers Ennis had handed him with his suggestion. Curious Derek stepped closer to have a look over Stiles shoulder. And maybe to loom a bit over the other werewolf sitting on the other side of the desk.

"So you basically want me to hand over the Red to the Executive Board until the crisis is over." Stiles said the last words with a knowing smile on his lips. "Which would be up to your definition, I assume. So I would basically hand over the Red for good." He nodded to himself, barely hiding his amusement. It was the same trap he had set for Peter. Only that Peter had fallen for it.

"And look." Stiles raised the stack of paper for Derek to have a look at one of the pages. "He already has a list of people he wants to fire."

Derek suppressed a snort. He only caught the top of the list but it didn't surprise him that Boyd and Isaac where number one and two. What did surprise him, however, was that his name was third.

"The answer is no." Stiles put the papers back together to neat pile. "This barely counts as a crisis and everybody on shift did an excellent job. Our staff took very good care of our guests and I have nothing to complain here."

He held out the stack of papers but Ennis hesitated to take them.

"You should think about it." He said.

"I did." Stiles answered with a wide smile. "And I think I know an excellent place where you can shove these."

Ennis glared at him and Derek knew he was fighting down the growl in his chest. Then he ripped the papers out of Stiles' hand and stormed out of the office.

"Nice try." Stiles muttered under his breath but Derek was sure that the werewolf could still hear him even through the closed door. "How dumb do they think I am?"

"They only see how young you are." Since he was already here, he stepped fully behind Stiles and put his hands on his shoulders. "And that you came out of nowhere and took away their candy."

Stiles laughed at that but it ended in a groan, when Derek started to knead the tight muscles of his neck.

Derek would have loved to turn him into a happy puddle of goo but they had barely two minutes before Stiles' phone rang.

A minute later Stiles went for the security meeting with Isaac while Derek hurried to the reception of the hotel to sort out the trouble there. Apparently since the guests were allowed back into their rooms now was the time to complain and to demand a refund.

Bomb threats hadn't been on the training schedule, they would probably from now on, and so the receptionists were happy to drop the difficult guests on Derek.

At least that way he was too busy to think about the Detective and Peter and everything else that had happened today.


	31. Chapter 31

It was after three in the morning when Derek finally fell into bed. He hadn't felt this tired in a while, not since he had been working three jobs with only sporadic sleep in between.

However, sleep wouldn't come. It had been a long day but the noises of the slot machines were still humming in his ears and he was too wired for sleep. And now, for the first time since the rude wakening in the morning, he had time to think about what had happened today.

They hadn't heard anything back from the police so they still didn't know who had been behind the threat. Somebody he knew? Andrew came to mind, he for sure held a grudge against the Red. Or this Danny guy but Derek didn't see how he would benefit from this. There had been no hacker attack or something like that while they had been busy with the bomb that wasn't there. And nobody had tried to rob them the old-fashioned way either.

Maybe somebody from the Executive Board? They had been quick with their attempt to take over the Red. And with Ennis the one to present that offer, Jennifer Blake came into the picture as well. Derek didn't know her and he didn't know if this was something she would do, but it was a thought to keep in mind.

However, according to Detective Morgan, Derek himself was a suspect. Not that anything would come out of that but the fact alone that she thought it could be him left him with an uneasy feeling.

Or it rather added to the uneasy feeling Peter had left him with. He was pretty sure that Stiles' plan would work which should get Peter to back off but he was his alpha. One word from him and everything Derek had here would crumble to dust.

How he felt about seeing his alpha more often, he didn't know either. His wolf part was wagging its tail at that thought, he was missing his pack and alpha, he couldn't deny that, but his human part was wary.

The thoughts kept him awake for long hours and just when he was finally drifting off to sleep, he realized that tomorrow was Wednesday and that he and Stiles hadn't discussed what to do with their play days.

They probably should just have a lazy day on the couch without doing anything but especially now, when his head was swimming with thoughts and worries, Derek needed it. He needed Stiles to pull him out of his head and take over for just a little while.

So the rest of the night Derek lay awake, pondering what to do, what he wanted.

He might have drifted off to sleep for an hour but it was uneasy at best. In the morning, Derek gave up and got out of bed. Maybe a hot shower would clear his mind.

When he came out of the bathroom, he heard Stiles already in the living room. After a moment of consideration Derek put on his sweat pants and nothing else. He didn't fasten the cuff around his wrist but he had it in hand when he left his room.

Stiles was already busy with his first coffee of the day but he was still wearing Superman pajama pants and a baggy t-shirt. He hadn't taken time to shower yet and his hair was sticking out in every direction. He had his cup at his lips when he noticed Derek. For a second it looked like he would drench himself in coffee but he managed to set the cup down without spilling too much.

Derek wasn't sure if that was the reaction he had hoped for. He had thought about what to say but now he was standing here like an idiot, the cuff clenched in his fist, and didn't know what to say. What if Stiles wasn't up for doing anything today? He'd said that they wouldn't do anything without discussing it first but Derek didn't feel like talking right now. He was tired and his mind was swirling and all he wanted was for Stiles to help him.

"I wasn't sure what we'd do today." Stiles said. He was openly admiring Derek's bare chest but then his eyes fell on the cuff in Derek's hand and not around his wrist.

"Me neither." Derek found his words and followed Stiles' invitation to sit with him at the table.

"What do you want?" Stiles asked and poured him a cup of coffee. "Or should I say need?"

When he handed him the cup, their fingers brushed and that little touch alone made Derek shiver.

"My head is so full." He admitted quietly.

"Have you slept at all?" Stiles had a closer look at him and for sure he noticed the shadows under his eyes.

"Not really." Derek shook his head and set the cup down without drinking any of it. He kept his eyes on the brown liquid.

Stiles put his hand on his forearm, his thumb gently caressing the soft skin of the inner side of his wrist.

"I can help you with that." With his free hand he picked up the cuff and started playing with it. "We haven't talked about it and I don't think now is the right time for that so we won't change anything major." His thumb never stopped moving. "But if you want to add small things …" He left it open for Derek to fill in the blanks.

"I don't want this to be about sex." Derek said, eyes still fixed on his coffee. "At least not today." Maybe next week when he had time to think about what he really wanted. Sex with Stiles had been awesome and he wanted more of that inside and outside of the playroom, but that wasn't what he needed now.

"But if it happens." He felt the heat creeping into his cheeks. "It would be okay, if you touched me. And you don't have to sneak out afterwards. You can stay. Or I can help you with that." Now the tips of his ears were burning as well but the movement of Stiles' thumb on his wrist never faltered.

Stiles studied him for a moment, then he leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek.

"I'd like that." He said. "Anything else?"

"Just more of what we've done so far? That was good." Now Derek dared to lift his head to glance at him. Stiles smiled at him.

"Is there something you'd like to change?" Derek added after a moment. So far this conversation had been a bit one-sided.

"I'm good." Stiles assured him. "But we should have a real talk about this before next week."

Derek knew that but he didn't want to think about that now. At the moment he didn't want to think at all.

Gently Stiles put his wrist in the cuff but he waited for Derek's nod before he closed the buckle. The second it was buckled in, Derek breathed easier and some of the tension melted out of him.

Stiles stroke his hair and Derek just leaned into the touch.

"Get your pillow." Stiles told him.

On his knees he ate his breakfast out of Stiles' hand and by the time they were finished, Derek's mind had calmed down.

"I need a shower." Stiles decided once they were done. "Wait for me in the playroom, on your knees in the middle of the room, face the bed."

Derek got in position as instructed with his back to the door. It was a position that went against every instinct he had. Especially when he heard the room service clearing the table just behind the door. They must hear Stiles in the shower and if they got curious and decided to peek into the playroom ...

But Derek stayed in position with his back to the door, straining his ears for what was going on in the other room. He relaxed when he heard them leave but there was no sound indicating that Stiles was heading his way. Derek had the suspicion that Stiles was making him wait on purpose but since they were alone in the suite again, it wasn't that bad.

Then finally the door opened and Stiles stepped in. With him came a wave of wet hair, the body wash he had used and something that Derek could only describe as contentedness. His bare feet were only a whisper on the thick carpet but Derek could still tell that he moved with graze and purpose. He was already in dom mode and that made Derek shiver in anticipation.

A hand landed on the nape of his neck and he bowed his head willingly.

"I want to tie you up." Stiles said, his fingers buried deep in his hair. "Full body. Color?"

"Green." Having his arms and chest bound had been amazing, Derek couldn't wait to find out how a full body harness would feel.

"Then I want to gag and blindfold you." Stiles continued.

"Green." Derek said without even waiting for the question.

"So eager." The hand tightened in his hair, giving it a little pull. "Get up. I need you naked for this."

The next half an hour Derek stood naked next to the bed and watched Stiles expertly tying loops and loops of rope around him. The same result could have been accomplished in a few minutes and with a quarter of the rope but Derek had to admit, the lines and knots came together in a beautiful pattern. He made a mental note to bring up taking pictures and exploring Shibari for real when they had their discussion about what to do in the playroom. Not that Stiles would object, Shibari had been on his kink list right from the start.

But for now Derek just enjoyed the almost hypnotic whisper of the rope and Stiles' skillful fingers weaving a complex pattern.

Derek had no way to hide his half-hard cock but Stiles just ignored it so Derek didn't let himself get bothered by it either.

The rope wasn't too tight but he felt it with every breath he took, restricting and comforting at the same time. Today Stiles placed his arms at his sides and just tied them in with the loops around his torso. His legs got tied together as well, making it impossible for Derek to even make the tiniest step. A row of diamonds went down his sternum and belly, one was framing his cock quite nicely without doing anything for it, and farther down his legs with the tip of the last diamond holding his big toes together.

"Beautiful." Stiles breathed in awe when he finally finished his work. "Let's get you on the bed before you fall."

Gently he lowered him to the bed and arranged him until he lay stretched out on his back. Derek felt the knots and ropes but nothing was digging into him.

"Comfy?" Stiles asked and put a pillow under his head.

"Feels nice." Derek said. It did. Testing the bonds Derek realized that they didn't have much give, he could move his head and wiggle his fingers and toes but that was it. But he didn't need to fight it. Quite the opposite, the ropes were holding him so he could relax.

Stiles disappeared from his line of view but Derek knew that he was still close. By the time he was back, Derek had settled into the ropes.

"Lift your head." Stiles put the blindfold over his eyes. "And now the gag. Remember, three nods for red. You give me that the second your have any problems breathing."

It was a small ball gag, he noticed when he closed his mouth around it. It wasn't big enough to give him problems swallowing so he wouldn't drown in his own saliva.

"Color?" Stiles asked once he was done. Derek gave him another nod and then relaxed into the pillow. He couldn't move, see or speak but that was okay. He didn't need to do anything.

There was some rustling and then the blanket was draped over him. With the ropes it felt strange on his skin but not unpleasant.

Stiles stretched out next to him. Derek guessed that he was sitting with his back propped up against the headboard and his legs stretched out. He felt Stiles' hip and legs against his body, assuring him that Stiles was still there.

"Rest." Stiles said and his hand was back in Derek's hair, playing with it. Derek didn't know what Stiles was doing but he went still and it didn't look like he intended to move any time soon.

It was warm and cozy under the blanket and Derek felt himself slip deeper into his mind. He had dozed off like this before but with the lack of sleep and bound and blindfolded like this, he drifted off to actual sleep rather quickly.


	32. Chapter 32

When Derek woke up, he had a second of panic. He couldn't open his eyes and when he tried to reach up to find out what was on his face, he couldn't move his hand away from his leg. He couldn't move the rest of his body either and there was a weight on his chest restricting him farther. But then he noticed Stiles' scent and his heart-beat and the soft puffs of his breath on his skin.

Stiles was sleeping draped over him and Derek was pretty sure that they were in bed so he figured that they weren't in immediate danger. Even if he needed another second to figure out why he couldn't see or move an inch. The blindfold and the miles of rope Stiles had expertly tied around him, right.

"Stiles?" He asked and only now he noticed that the gag was gone. Probably for the better if Stiles was sleeping as well. Derek could have drowned in his own spit without Stiles even noticing while they were both sleeping.

However, Derek couldn't recall the last time he had felt this rested. Since he now knew what was going on, he wasn't fighting his bonds any longer and relaxed back into the rope. Just for a few more minutes.

Stiles sighed in his sleep and snuggled closer, a drop of drool landing on Derek's chest. Derek let out a low chuckle but let him be for the moment.

For a few more minutes Derek just lay there, drifting at the brink of sleep, but he was awake now and didn't find his way back to sleep. Besides, even if his body felt kind of floating he did feel that he hadn't moved in what could be hours. With Stiles added weight the knots and loops of rope were digging into his skin now.

This was getting uncomfortable rather quickly and not the kind of uncomfortable they were usually aiming for in the playroom. And Stiles would be awake if this was some kind of endurance thing.

"Stiles." Derek said louder now and shrugged his shoulder as best as he could to jostle Stiles awake. "Wake up."

Stiles had used normal rope and not the laced with mountain ash kind he also had in one of the closets so Derek could break free if he really wanted to but at the moment it was more amusing than scary.

Mumbling something in his sleep Stiles moved his head, most likely to find a more comfortable position, from what Derek could tell the rope over his pecs must be digging into Stiles' face. Then Stiles' wet lips brushed over his nipple and suddenly Derek went very still.

Stiles stilled as well, wet hot puffs ghosting over Derek's nipple with every sleep-heavy breath he took.

This was torture.

"Stiles, I swear." Derek muttered but didn't dare to move, not that he could do more than a pathetic wiggle anyway.

Stiles smacked his lips which made contact with the by now pebbled flesh of his nipple again, but then he shot upright without a warning.

"Shit!" There was frantic movement and Derek pictured him, fighting his way out of sleep and most likely out of the tangled blanket as well.

"Derek?" Suddenly there were hands on his face. "Are you awake? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Derek said and lifted his head so that Stiles could take off the blindfold.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep." The blindfold disappeared and Derek blinked into the sudden brightness. A blinding second later he closed his eyes again, he wasn't going anywhere any time soon.

"How do you feel?" Stiles' hands were roaming over his body in search for soreness and cut off limbs. "Can I untie you or should I just cut you lose?"

Untying would take even longer than tying him up in the first place but Derek wasn't in much discomfort.

"Stiles, I'm fine." He assured him. "Take your time."

Stiles gave him a look, not sure if he really meant it, but then he started to untie Derek. In a way it was almost as relaxing as getting tied up. Derek was more of a rag doll in Stiles' hands, letting the other man place and move him however he wanted.

When Derek lay naked in a pool of rope Stiles took some lotion, not the wolfsbane kind, and started to rub and massage his limbs to get the circulation flowing again.

Derek lifted his head long enough to see the rope marks imprinted in his skin but then he just lay back and let Stiles pamper him.

"What time is it?" He finally asked. He had probably slept for a few hours.

"About four in the afternoon."

"What?" That couldn't be. He hadn't slept away half of the day. Especially the day that was dedicated to play time with Stiles.

"You needed some rest." Stiles shrugged and let go of his leg. "Can you get up?"

After hours without moving his whole body felt stiff but it wore off rather quickly when he moved around the room a bit. He didn't even care that he was stark naked with his half-hard cock flopping between his legs.

The way Stiles watched him, he did care.

"Come here."

Derek sank to his knees between Stiles' spread legs which under different circumstances would be the beginning of a blow-job but Derek knew that that wasn't were this was heading.

Stiles sank his hands in his hair and leaned forward to bring their mouths together. Derek parted his lips for him and let him in. They kissed like this, deep and sensual, and when they parted, Derek let his head rest against Stiles' knee.

"I don't know about you but I'm starving." Stiles announced. They hadn't eaten since breakfast and that had been hours ago. As an answer Derek's stomach grumbled.

"But since you've slept way most of the day." The hands in his hair tightened, sending a delicious spark right down to his cock. "It's only fair if you have to work for your dinner."

The wicked grin on Stiles' lips made Derek swallow thickly.

"What do you think about nipple clamps?"

"Green." He still felt Stiles' saliva on his chest and on his nipple. "But …" Derek licked his lips. "Could you use the lotion for that?" He glanced up at Stiles but his fingertips working his scalp were answer enough.

"If you do it yourself." Stiles agreed and handed him the lotion.

So still on his knees and still naked, Derek squirted some lotion on his fingertips and started to work it into his nipples. The wolfsbane in the lotion made his fingertips tingle but it put an immediate burn on the soft skin of his nipples.

Stiles watched him from the bed, elbows resting on his knees and a hungry look in his eyes. Feeling his gaze on him, Derek pushed out his chest and tugged and twisted the hardening flesh. But his nipples weren't the only thing getting more erect. Without him really noticing he spread his legs wider and under Stiles' watchful eyes his cock rose to full attention.

"You're going to be the death of me." Stiles tore his eyes off him and reached for the clamps. Clover clamps. Those had more of a bite and they would tighten even farther if Stiles tugged at the chain.

Looking straight at Stiles, Derek let go of his nipples and presented them for the clamps. Like expected they bit into his flesh with a sharp spark of pain and when Stiles gave the chain a jerk, Derek bit back a moan.

"I'm going to order our dinner now." Stiles let the chain drop against Derek's chest and reached for his phone. "But I think I know how to pass the time until it's here."

By the time their dinner arrived, Derek sat hunched over on his knees, keening with every merciless tug on the chain. Like expected the clover clamps had more of a bite than the ones they had used last time. Plus, the lotion set his nipples on fire.

Then, finally, the food arrived and while Stiles went to get it, Derek used the chance to catch his breath. He would have loved to lift the clamps to ease the strain but he had to do with breathing as shallowly as possible.

When Stiles came back he brought in their dinner on a large tray. There wasn't really a table in here so Derek wondered if they would eat in bed.

"Stand on your knees and stretch out your arms." Stiles ordered. "Palms up."

Then Stiles placed the try on his hands. That would work too, Derek guessed.

The tray was big enough for two plates, both still under silver cloches, a pitcher with coke, glasses and silverware. There was even a vase with flowers. All in all the tray was heavier than Derek had expected but as a werewolf he had no trouble holding it with outstretched arms. At least for now, he was well aware that it would get rather heavy rather quickly.

"Ass in, chest out." Stiles nudged him into position with his knees spread, back straight and arms stretched out in front of him. The chain hung heavy from his sore nipples and stepping around him Stiles used the chance to joggle the clamps. The silverware clattered on the tray but Derek managed to keep his arms steady while he bit back a pained gasp.

After one last tug Stiles sat down on the bed, took off one of the cloches and started to eat. Steak with green beans and baked potato. It smelled delicious and Derek's mouth watered from the sight of it alone but it didn't look like he would get any of it. At least from this plate.

While he ate Stiles completely ignored him and Derek was more than busy with keeping his hands steady. He had to constantly work to counter Stiles' movements and it didn't take long until his muscles started to protest. The muscles in his thighs were trembling and his lower back was burning but that was nothing compared to his arms.

But then, finally, Stiles put down his fork and knife.

"That was delicious." He used the napkin. "Do you want some?"

"Yes, please." However, over his burning muscles he had almost forgotten that he was hungry.

"Let's get you fed, then." With that Stiles switched out the plates and cut into the second steak. "Open up."

By now the tray was visibly shaking and if Stiles hadn't drank some from the pitcher coke would spill all over his dinner.

"Or are you not hungry after all?" Stiles asked, offering the fork with a raised eyebrow.

For a second Derek was tempted to just say screw dinner but then he straightened up again and opened his mouth.

"I'm proud of you." Stiles said when he finally took the tray off his hands. "You can lower your arms now."

As if a string was cut his arms fell to his sides and he rolled his shoulders to loosen the cramped muscles there. His legs were screaming for release as well and Derek dropped his butt to rest on his heels the second Stiles put a little pressure on his shoulder.

"You did so good." Stiles stepped around him, his hands in Derek's hair again, fingertips working his scalp. Then he went down his neck and over his shoulders, loosening his muscles with a firm hand.

Of course he slipped down to his chest next, going straight for the clamps. Derek fell backwards, leaning heavily on Stiles and couldn't hold back the whimpers.

For a second he felt the hard line of Stiles' erection against the back of his head, only barely concealed by his sweat pants, and that along with the sharp lances of pain from his nipples went right down to his dick. He was hard again.

"You can touch yourself." Stiles said, his voice husky. With one hand he was still playing with the chain but with the other one he was palming himself through his pants.

Derek didn't have to be told twice. He came over his own fist with his back arched and his nipples impossibly stretched by the chain in Stiles' hand.

"So good." Stiles released the clamps but due to the lotion the pain didn't abate. If anything it got worse. Derek hunched down to take the strain off his chest.

Still panting he glanced up at Stiles who had his hand in his pants now.

"Can I see?" Derek asked, licking his dry lips. "Please?"

With hooded eyes Stiles got his cock out and a few furious strokes later his hot release hit Derek's chest.


	33. Chapter 33

They slept in the playroom but in the morning they had to face the world again. It was kind of a miracle that they hadn't been disturbed during their Wednesday with what was going on around them and Derek had a feeling that he had to thank Isaac for that.

Before they went to their rooms to get ready for the day Stiles drew him in for a kiss and before they parted, he brushed his thumb over Derek's still sore nipple. The lotion was doing its job, keeping his abused flesh raw and tender.

Derek gasped but Stiles just smirked at him and sent him off to get ready for the day.

In his bathroom Derek debated for a whole minute if he should take a shower or not but in the end he just washed up at the sink. Then he put on the tightest undershirt he had. The stretch of the fabric against his nipples sent a tingle down to his groin. He would feel it with every breath, with every move over the day.

Then he hurried to get dressed and join Stiles for breakfast.

"How do you feel?" Stiles asked, sipping his coffee.

"I didn't wash off the lotion." Derek said and Stiles spilled his coffee.

"You …?" He spluttered. Then his eyes wandered down to Derek's chest. Derek squirmed under that gaze which only sparked the throbbing in his nipples.

"Can I?" Stiles asked and before Derek could even figure out what he was talking about, Stiles was out of his seat and standing behind Derek, his hands on Derek's shoulders.

"Yes." Derek let his head fall against Stiles' stomach.

Stiles' fingertips whispered over his shirt, just the ghost of a touch, and then they brushed over his nipples. Derek's breath hitched.

Stiles gave them a sharp flick with his thumbs and Derek couldn't help but buck his hips. He had been half-hard since he'd put on the undershirt but his cock was rapidly filling now.

"I want to blow you." Stiles breathed into his ear. They weren't in the playroom, Derek wasn't wearing his wrist cuff, this was just them, Stiles and Derek.

As an answer he turned sideways on his chair and let his legs fall open.

They were late for their first meeting of the day but they both had stupid grins on their faces when they met with Isaac.

"I don't want to know." Isaac told them after one look at them. For the whole meeting he refused to meet their eyes and it was rather amusing but Derek had trouble focusing, every breath was a reminder of last night, but he even managed to contribute to what they were discussing.

Then Detective Morgan wanted to see them and Derek dreaded her visit. He knew that she couldn't pin anything on him and Stiles had once again assured him that he had his back, he would tell the police that they had spent the night together if it turned out that somehow the log files weren't enough to eliminate Derek as a suspect.

Detective Morgan didn't even mention that possibility, so it was likely that she just had shot in every direction in hope to hit a target, but now after the police had time to actually work on the case, she told them that the email hadn't come from somewhere inside the Red.

Which ruled out Derek and everybody else who had worked the early shift but didn't really help them.

"We're looking into what you told us." She said to Stiles and Derek could only guess that she was talking about Andrew. "It's possible that this was a random act which has nothing to do with the casino or you, Mr. Stilinski, personally but it's too early to rule it out."

"Our head of security has already tightened security measures and he won't let me go out without at least a bodyguard. And apparently my werewolf assistant doesn't count." He gestured at Derek who was standing behind his shoulder.

That had been one of the things they had been discussing with Isaac and one Derek had agreed on. He might be a werewolf but he wasn't a trained bodyguard. He didn't know what to look out for or how to react to a threat. Sure, he knew how to use his claws in a fight but that didn't mean that he would be able to protect Stiles. And if he was honest, that was a responsibility he was glad to leave for somebody else to carry.

Detective Morgan frowned at the word _assistant_ and Derek wondered what kind of rumors she had heard about him over the last two days.

Turned out that the answer to that was quite some because after she had said goodbye to Stiles she asked to have a word in private with him.

"Take my office." Stiles offered. "I have a meeting with the Executive Board in five minutes. Derek, can you check in with Boyd when you're done here? I don't know what's bugging him but it sounded important."

With that he left. Detective Morgan waited until the door was closed before she turned toward Derek.

"Mr. Hale." She started but then she let her guard down and gave him a smile. "Is it okay if I call you Derek?"

Derek nodded and took Stiles' seat behind the desk. If he was right and this was about his arrangement with Stiles he wanted to sit and have the desk as a barrier between himself and the detective.

"Derek." She said, her posture more open now. "I heard a few things about you."

"Like I said, rumors." He tried to shrug it off. He was okay with people thinking those things about him. By now most of them were true anyway with the only difference that he was with Stiles because he wanted to be with him and not because he was some kind of sex slave, but he never knew how to react when people pitied him.

"Are you sleeping with Mr. Stilinski?" She asked bluntly.

Suddenly very aware of his sore nipples Derek held her gaze.

"I don't think that's any of your business." Derek said coldly. "Is there anything you want to discuss with me regarding the case you're working on?" Working with Stiles and adopting some of the lawyer talk that was essential to managing a casino came in handy now.

"Not at the moment." She looked at him with sorrow in her eyes. "If you can think of anything else, give me a call." She wasn't only talking about the case. "Derek, I can help you."

"Thank you but I don't need help." He said and, because he didn't want her to get the wrong impression of Stiles, he added: "I know what you've heard but that's not how it is. Stiles is my boss but he's also a friend."

If she were a werewolf she would be able to hear the truth in his heart-beat but he hoped that as a cop she would pick up on it.

After she had left Derek just sat in Stiles' chair for a moment longer, not sure what to think of the fact that the police knew about his arrangement with Stiles. Or better, about what everybody was supposed to think of his arrangement with Stiles. She couldn't prove anything, Derek had a contract and he got paid for his work, but that didn't mean anything. It could very well be just to cover Stiles' ass, as he'd put it.

However, Derek had other things to take care of so he went to find out what was bothering Boyd.

The police had been through the security logs and suspicious emails they had gotten lately and had probably been through some of the staff files as well. Derek didn't know because he'd been tied up and sleeping yesterday, but Stiles trusted Boyd and Isaac to take care of things on his day off.

"Derek, come in." Boyd greeted him.

"Stiles says something's bugging you?"

Boyd glared at him but then his attention was back on the screen in front of him.

"Adrian Harris." He said the name as if it left a bad taste in his mouth. Rather unusual for the composed man but Harris had called Erica a whore the first time he'd seen her and gave her leering glances every time she came into the Red. Knowing Erica, Boyd probably knew every little detail about every encounter she ever had with him.

"What's with him?" Derek dropped in the chair in front of Boyd's desk with a groan. He and that security guy would never become friends. Harris never left out a chance to give Derek a dismissive look or make a snide remark.

"He called in sick yesterday and he isn't in today either." Boyd said.

"Lucky us?"

"He hasn't been sick a day since Stiles took over the Red." Boyd informed him. "He's one of the people the Executive Board wants to stick around."

So he was one of the old guard, Derek wasn't really surprised.

"You think he's something to do with this?"

"I don't know." Boyd leaned back in his chair. "So far the only odd thing about him is that he's called in sick and that he's a douchebag in general."

Derek bit back a chuckle, hearing Boyd using words like that was just hilarious on the rare occasion it happened.

"Is there something we can do?" Derek asked. He doubted that this was all. Boyd could have informed Stiles about this over the phone.

"I'd like to have a closer look at him." He gestured at his computer. "Financial records, who he's in contact with, things like that but …"

"That's not exactly legal." Derek nodded in understanding. Issac had mentioned that Boyd could do stuff like this.

"With the police snooping around I'm not sure if I should do it right now." He finished his sentence.

Derek was pretty sure that by now the police had everything they needed from the Red but who knew if there wasn't the next threat tomorrow. Better keep their noses clean.

"Not from our system." Derek decided. "But if you happen to talk to Erica about this, she might have some ideas."

They grinned at each other in understanding.

It was possible that Harris was just sick but Derek left Boyd's office with an uneasy feeling in his stomach.

He found Stiles back at his office, nursing a cup of coffee but he had a second cup waiting for Derek. Or for himself if Derek failed to show up before he was done with his first one.

After a short briefing, Stiles found it as odd as Boyd and Derek that Harris had called in sick the day after they had gotten a bomb threat, they went through the schedule for the rest of the day.

"I should call Peter." Stiles suddenly changed the topic.

Right, his alpha was the other thing on Derek's mind.

"What are you going to tell him?" They had been over this before but knowing Stiles he had changed and added some things since then.

"Since you assist me with other stuff as well, I've decided to pay you for that." Stiles recapped his plan. "Those hours don't count for Peter's debt but he doesn't expect to get you back any time soon anyway. I won't give Peter money, I don't want to leave the impression that I'm paying him for your service." He stressed the last word. "But what you do with your money is up to you, if you want to give it to your alpha …" He made a vague gesture.

It could work. Derek could stay with Stiles and Peter would get whoever else he owed money to off his back.

Derek had thought that he would use the money Stiles was already paying him but Stiles had other plans.

"You work hard for your money." Stiles pointed out. "You've earned every cent of it. Besides, you don't want to remind Peter that you have a bank account he can check on."

Which was true. After what Peter had done to him, and had been about to do again, Derek wasn't keen on letting his alpha know that there was quite some money just sitting around in his account. So Stiles would pay him cash and he would meet Peter weekly to give him the money and have some bonding time with his alpha. It sounded like the setup for a drug deal.

Two phone calls later, one from Stiles and one from Derek, Peter had agreed to the plan and it was set.


	34. Chapter 34

"You know what I don't get?" Stiles said while they were on their way to … Derek didn't even know. Today their schedule was so packed that they had to do most things separately to get them all covered and by now Derek had lost track of their schedule. And he had been the one who had made it.

"What?"

"Peter." Stiles said, whipping on the balls of his feet while they waited for the elevator. "I mean the other day, why was he even here?"

"He wanted to get me back." Derek said, an icy fist clenching his guts just from thinking about what Peter had wanted him back for.

"It wasn't even eight in the morning." Stiles pointed out and stepped in the for once empty elevator. "If he wanted to talk to you he could have called. Or he could have made an appointment with me to discuss our arrangement. But no, he showed but just on a hunch? Did he see it on the news and thought: Hey, there's a bomb threat at the Red, I should go there, maybe I'll find Derek standing around on the sidewalk. That doesn't make sense."

Derek hadn't thought about that but Stiles had a point.

"Maybe he wanted to make sure that I was okay?" Not that he really believed that. But on the other hand, Peter was his alpha and Derek was the only pack he had left.

"Then he's shit at showing that." Was Stiles' comment on that. "Oh, before I forget. Scott called earlier."

"What does he want?" Derek was still not sure what to make out of Stiles' best friend. He seemed nice and more or less harmless but a little naive.

"He's mad that I didn't tell him about the bomb threat we got."

When they got out of the elevator, Derek had to check the signs at the doors to orientate himself but then he remembered their meeting with somebody from PR. They even were a few minutes early.

"You had other things on your mind." Derek set up his notes at his place. They were planning a Fuck You party as Stiles called it for the weekend to show the world that they didn't scare that easy. They just needed another name for it and something else than a middle finger to put on the invitation. Derek had never before been so glad that they had a PR department to manage the promotion for such events. If Stiles were in charge …

"Exactly." Stiles pointed a finger-gun at him. "Besides, it's not my fault that he doesn't watch the news. The only reason he knows now is because Lydia mentioned it to him."

Derek had no idea why Lydia and Scott had been talking in the first place, he hadn't known that they even knew each other, but he didn't ask. Instead he just nodded to indicate that he was listening.

"Point is, we're going to have dinner today." Stiles dropped in his chair. "He needs to see me, otherwise he won't believe that I'm alright."

"You haven't seen him in a while." Since Scott had stormed into the playroom to be exact. "You two have some catching up to do. Are we going to meet up later for the floor or do you want to skip that today?" _Or do you want me to go alone?_ Was the question he didn't dare to ask. Having dinner all by himself in the suite would be strange, they always had dinner together, but he was okay with it. However, hitting the floor was still his least favorite thing to do even with Stiles. But alone?

"You don't want to join us?" Stiles sounded almost hurt.

"He's your best friend."

"Yeah, but you're my boyfriend."

"I'm … what?" Derek was glad that he was already sitting.

"Is this too soon?" Stiles immediately tried to take it back. "I know we do things out of order and we only had one date so far but I thought … forget what I thought, it's stupid."

"It's not stupid." Derek said quietly while he still tried to wrap his head around the fact that Stiles saw them as boyfriends. But he had said the three big words just a few days ago and even if Derek hadn't said them back, yet, he felt the same. Boyfriends. It sounded right.

Stiles didn't seem to hear him and kept on babbling: "I always rush in too fast. I've screwed things up like this before, I'm sorry, I don't want to screw this up. Please, just forget what I said. I didn't …"

"Stiles?" Derek interrupted him. "Shut up."

And then, because Stiles opened his mouth to say even more, he leaned over and kissed him. It was a very effective way to shut him up and quite enjoyable. Especially when Stiles' eyes went wide and he was all flustered before he deflated and started to kiss back.

"So, you're going to have dinner with us?" Stiles asked when they parted. Derek had his hand on his cheek and their foreheads were almost touching and if he weren't hearing the PR guy approaching right outside the door, Derek would dive back in and kiss him until they were both light-headed.

"Okay." He said instead and gave Stiles a quick peck on the corner of his mouth and when seconds later the door opened, they were both engrossed in their notes for the meeting.

However, Derek didn't pay much attention to what they were talking about, his mind was still circling around the term boyfriend.

They needed to have a discussion about how open they wanted to be with this, Stiles had a reputation to uphold and making them official kinda defeated the purpose of their arrangement.

One thought led to the other and soon Derek was back to pondering what to do with their Wednesdays. They had crossed over into sexual a while ago and since they were boyfriends now it wouldn't be no strings attached sex any longer. But that meant they needed to talk about it and most likely another survey. Derek doubted that Stiles would go with a half-ass discussion right before a session again.

Thinking about all the new possibilities Derek felt his dick twitching in his pants and when the meeting was finally over, he had to subtly adjust himself and could only hope that his semi-boner was not that obvious.

"You kinda zoned out there." Stiles whispered when they left the room. "But it looks like your mind went nicer places than the guest list."

Derek just glared at him.

"Or were you fantasizing about somebody on that list?" Stiles teased. "It's Lydia, right? Don't be ashamed. I've been there. Man, the fantasies I had about her."

"She's one of your best friends." Derek shuddered in only partly fake disgust.

"She knows that I had a massive crush on her." Stiles shrugged but then a sly smile crept in his face. "Besides, I've somebody else I have fantasies about now." He bumped his shoulder into Derek's.

Stiles had fantasies about him? They had sex and scenes together, sure, but the idea that Stiles was thinking about him like this was still strange. Derek felt the heat in his cheeks and Stiles' confession did nothing to calm down his dick.

"I was thinking about our Wednesdays." He admitted. Two could play this game. "About what I would mark down if we did a full survey."

"You mean?" Stiles stopped walking, his arms caught in a wide gesture and Derek didn't need to turn around to know that he was gaping at him.

When Stiles caught up with him at the elevator, he was emitting waves of arousal and if Derek wasn't mistaken he smelled precome on him as well. His mouth watered at the thought of going down on Stiles in the elevator but even if they were alone in here, which they weren't, there were still cameras. Isaac would throw a fit if he caught them on tape like that.

The rest of the afternoon Stiles was throwing glances at him and he constantly smelled horny. Derek didn't really want to know what was going on in his head. But they were busy enough to not dwell on that too much.

In the end they had to hurry back to the suite to get dressed for dinner with Scott.

By now Derek was so used to wearing a suite that it didn't really bother him anymore but he still enjoyed every time he could just put on jeans and a Henley. Stiles came out of his room dressed equally casual, not caring that they would have dinner in one of the Red's restaurants and people would see him.

Scott was already waiting for them at a table and if he was surprised that Derek was there as well, he didn't let it show. He had only eyes for Stiles anyway. The second he saw him, he was out of his chair and had Stiles in a bear hug.

"I was so worried." He mumbled into Stiles' shirt.

"You heard about it two days late, you knew I was fine." Stiles pointed out but returned the hug just as fiercely.

"You should have called." Scott let go of his friend but only reluctantly. Out of the corner of his eye Derek saw a waitress, watching them with a fond smile. When she noticed him watching her, she rolled her eyes at the two idiots and Derek couldn't help but do the same.

"Derek." Only with a delay Scott greeted him. They shook hands and then sat down.

The waitress came over to take their drink order and hand them the menu. She greeted Stiles with name and Scott didn't seem to be a stranger either. Only Derek seemed to throw her off a little but after their shared moment earlier he felt like they had some kind of connection.

Scott and Stiles were already engrossed in a conversation, Stiles had to tell him every detail of the evacuation, and Derek kind of felt like a third wheel only minutes into their dinner. He wondered if it had been a good idea to come here in the first place.

"Don't worry." The waitress, her name tag read Mary, said in a low voice that was lost on Scott and Stiles. "They'll calm down in a bit."

So they were regulars here. Derek gave her a grateful smile and took a sip of his water.

Derek ordered the Spaghetti Carbonara, he had liked it before but it had been his first meal with Stiles so it was somewhat special to him now. When he had his first bite, he realized that this must be the place Stiles had ordered it from.

For a moment Derek sat there, almost fighting the tears when the flavor filled his mouth and nose. He was just glad that Scott and Stiles were still too engrossed in their conversation to notice that he was having a sentimental moment over pasta right next to them.

By the time Derek had himself under control again and was just enjoying a good meal, the others were done with catching up and now they included him in the conversation as well.

"Stiles told me that you're slowly taking over the Red." Scott said to him and for a second all Derek could hear was Lydia's voice, accusing him of playing some kind of con. But Scott's posture was open and there was a glint in his eye, telling him that he was joking.

"I don't know how I survived without him." Stiles stepped in.

"Me neither." Derek muttered. "You don't even have a secretary."

"I had secretaries before." Stiles defended himself with a pout.

"Yeah, they just never stayed for long." Scott leaned over with a conspiracy whisper. "He scared them away."

"It's not my fault they didn't have a sense of humor." The pout deepened.

"They couldn't deal with your erratic behavior." Scott corrected and Stiles didn't object. "You constantly change directions and you sprout new ideas every other second. Nobody can keep up with you and that's frustrating. So they leave." He glanced over at Derek and for the first time today the doubt was back in his eyes. "I'm surprised that you're still here."

"I don't know what the problem is." Derek turned his attention back to his plate. The spaghetti were to good to let Scott ruin his mood. "Stiles is Stiles."


	35. Chapter 35

Derek didn't participate that much in their conversation, most of the time he just sat back and watched his boyfriend, he still wasn't over that one, talking animatedly with his best friend. Once the recent events were covered they talked about people and events Derek didn't know but Stiles made sure to throw in a short explanation every now and then so Derek had at least a general idea of what they were talking about.

Derek learned that Scott was a veterinarian with his own clinic in a small town two hours from Vegas. Details Stiles had failed to mention so far but it explained why Scott had showed up so quickly when he'd heard about Derek for the first time but wasn't around that much.

He had been friends with Stiles since kindergarten where they had also met Lydia, Isaac and Boyd. Not that they had been friends back then.

"Lydia didn't know I existed until we were sixteen." Stiles said. "The rest of us bonded over warming the bench at lacrosse."

"Probably for the better, I wouldn't trust you with something hard and long like a lacrosse stick." Derek said, thinking of how accident-prone Stiles was, but his mind had been in the gutter all day so it took a different direction. They probably shouldn't have started the day with mutual blow-jobs and he still felt his nipples and now he couldn't help but wonder what Stiles could do with a lacrosse stick.

"You do trust me with hard and long things." Stiles wiggled his eyebrows at him.

Across from them Scott looked confused from one to the other and with a delay he turned red and almost choked on his drink.

"Dude, that's exactly why people talk about you two." He lowered his voice and had a look around to make sure that nobody was in earshot. "You have any idea what kind of rumors are floating around here? Isaac keeps telling me that I shouldn't listen to those but still."

"You shouldn't." Stiles agreed. "What Derek and I do is between two consenting adults and it's nobody else's business."

"You really shouldn't say stuff like that." Scott muttered. "People will get the wrong impression. It's bad enough that you insists on doing …" He was searching for words with his face heated and he was unable to look at Stiles. "The things you do." He finished lamely.

"Let's not go there tonight." Stiles let out a sigh. His lifestyle was the one thing they couldn't agree on, Derek had noticed that much. Scott just didn't get it. Or according to Stiles, he didn't want to understand.

They dropped the topic with practiced ease, they had been here before, that much was obvious, and soon they were talking about the new Marvel movie coming up.

"I expect you to take me there." Stiles told Derek and the next second he was already gushing over the trailer he'd seen, speculating what this or that scene might mean.

Derek made a mental note to look up when it would be released while Scott didn't seem to notice that Stiles had basically set up a future date with Derek.

"He totally missed it, didn't he?" Derek asked when hours later they were back on their way to the penthouse. Stiles hadn't used the b-word but he hadn't held back with the little touches and at one point he had completely leaned into Derek, resting his head on his shoulder.

When their waitress had cleared the table and had asked if they wanted dessert, she had almost cooed over them, it had been that obvious that they were a couple.

She'd even said: "And for the lovebirds …" when she placed their apple pie in front of them. Derek had half-expected to get one plate and two forks so they could share but thankfully she hadn't gone that far.

She must be the one person in the entire building who didn't connect the rumors with his face and that alone made it one of the best dinners Derek ever had. That and the fact that Stiles had been in his space the whole evening.

However, Scott had totally missed it.

"He's Scott." Stiles said. The second he stepped out of the elevator into the suite, he kicked off his shoes. "I love him like a brother but he can be rather dense."

Derek followed Stiles' example and got rid of his shoes but then he stood there, unsure what they would do next. It was late but not too late to hit the floor. He'd rather not and spent the rest of the evening with Stiles instead but it was part of his job so he waited for Stiles' lead on this.

"Don't look at me like that. Tonight we're not going anywhere." With that Stiles rolled over the back of the couch and was out of sight. Only his feet were sticking out over the arm of the couch.

"I'm full and tired." He continued talking while he made himself more comfortable. "And I expect some cuddles now."

That he could do. Derek stepped around the couch and set down next to Stiles' hip. But Stiles had nothing of that. He dragged Derek down until he was lying on top of him, his hip slotted nicely between Stiles' spread legs.

"You've any idea how much I've been looking forward to this all day?"

"To dry humping on the couch?" Derek asked with a raised eyebrow. But he had to admit, having Stiles this close felt good. It felt even better when Stiles hooked one heel around his thigh to bring their groins closer together.

Derek had been in a low-key state of arousal all day as well so he was already half-hard from just lying between Stiles' legs. He slipped his hands under Stiles' shirt, roaming his flanks, while he kissed him.

"What do you want to do?" Stiles asked, his wet lips ghosting over Derek's. Derek caught his bottom lip between his teeth, coaxing a delicious sound out of Stiles. For now he was content with just making out on the couch.

However, Stiles always asked what he wanted. He never put himself first.

"What do you want?" Derek turned the question around.

Now Stiles put his hands on both sides of Derek's head and brought some distance between them so that he could look him in the eye. Derek didn't know what he was looking for but he gave him a moment to study his face.

"I want you in me." He said, carefully watching Derek's expression. "I want it rough. And if you happen to sprout claws I wouldn't mind."

"You can't mean that." Derek froze above him, searching his face and heart-beat for the lie. Stiles had to be mocking him. But he couldn't detect a lie.

"I do." Stiles said simply. He reached up to cup his face again. "I trust you."

Derek closed his eyes. He was rock hard in his jeans and the little rocking motions Stiles never stopped with were sending delicious sparks of friction through his groin.

He could picture it in his head. Stiles on his knees under him, begging to get mounted. He could almost see his own clawed hand between Stiles' shoulder blades, holding him down, and his gums were prickling with barely hidden fangs at the thought of Stiles' neck alone.

"You don't know what you're asking for." Humans might fantasize about sex with a werewolf but they rarely enjoyed it. Quite the opposite, they were disgusted or scared by the animalistic side.

 _At least pretend that you're a man and not a dog_ , her voice echoed through his mind. The words washed over him like a bucket of ice water.

He scrambled backwards until he was cowering with his butt against the arm rest. He couldn't get farther away from Stiles without getting off the couch which he probably should. It would be safer.

"Derek?" Propped up on his elbows Stiles tried to figure out what was going on. Then he was on his knees, gently reaching out for him. "Hey, it's okay."

Slowly as if Derek was a spooked animal Stiles laid his hand on his cheek.

"What's wrong?" He asked and when Derek didn't bolt, he came closer.

"Nothing." Derek shook his head but Stiles' hand never lost contact with his face. "We can …"

"Is this about you being a werewolf?" Stiles asked, ducking his head to look him in the eye.

"I love you." Stiles said, his eyes locked with Derek's. "You're a werewolf and I love every part of you."

Suddenly Derek was choking on tears. Before it had been a thrown-away comment, Stiles probably hadn't noticed that he'd said it, but now he said it with intention. Like he wanted to make sure that Derek understood it.

This was probably the moment to say it back but Derek couldn't. His vision was blurry with unshed tears and there was a lump in his throat.

Then Stiles had him in his arms and all Derek could do was to bury his nose in the crook of his neck and just breathe in his scent.

They sat like that for a while but it wasn't a comfortable position and Derek's legs started to protest rather quickly. Stiles didn't seem to do any better and when he almost fell off the couch in his attempt to subtly shift into a more comfortable position, Derek caught him but lost his balance as well and they toppled over in a heap of limbs.

"But we're still on the couch." Stiles announced with pride in his voice, not in the slightest bothered by the fact that he was lying twisted under Derek.

It wouldn't take much to get them back to where they'd left off, Stiles just needed to stretch out and Derek could crawl over him and he was tempted to do just that and forget the last few minutes but Stiles was quicker.

"How about we move over to my bed?" He asked and then he hurried to add: "We don't have to do anything, we can just go to sleep."

"Okay." Derek agreed but he couldn't shake off he feeling that it was only a matter of time until Stiles had enough of his crap. Derek came with baggage, he had issues, he knew that. Why Stiles was willing to put up with his crap was beyond him but even Stiles' patience with him would run out eventually.

So Derek followed Stiles to his bedroom and he made a point of getting under the covers naked. He wasn't sure if he was in the mood for anything right now but in case Stiles was still up for it, he would go along with it.

Stiles watched him without a word but when he crawled in from the other side of the bed, he was equally naked. But he wasn't all over Derek the next second, instead he stretched out on his back and folded his hands behind his back.

"You worry too much." He said in the direction of the ceiling. It was dark but Derek could still make out his profile.

"I don't want to lose this." Derek said, his voice barely a whisper. "I don't want to lose you."

It was the most honest thing he'd ever said to Stiles and he wouldn't have gathered enough courage to say it in the light of day. But here, in the dark with Stiles next to him but not looking at him, he dared to bare his soul.

"You won't." Stiles assured him. He turned to his side to look at him but Derek doubted that his human eyes could make out more than the dark shape of him.

"You won't lose me if you back out of sex." His heart was steady, filling Derek's ears with its thumping as if it wanted to drive its point home. "I'm not with you because of the sex or the scenes. I'm with you because of you."

It was too much. Something in Derek broke. Next thing he knew he was in Stiles' arms again, clinging to him while broken sobs tore their way out of his chest.

They did have sex that night. Later, when Derek just felt drained and exhausted but was too wired to sleep, he asked Stiles to take him.

Stiles was just a dark shadow above him, it was too dark to make out his features, so Derek closed his eyes and focused on he feeling of Stiles in him. He moved slow and sweet, every thrust a slow drag over his prostate and Derek just relaxed under him.

Stiles took care of him and when he took his erection in hand, working it in the same lazy rhythm, Derek spilled his release with a sigh.

He fell asleep with the comforting feeling of Stiles still thrusting into him.


	36. Chapter 36

When Derek woke up the next morning he wasn't sure what had been just a weird dream and what had really happened. But he still felt the dried tears on his face and his eyes were crusty. So that probably hadn't been just a dream. And when he moved, he felt Stiles' come leaking out of him but he didn't really remember that part. There was his own come now dry and flaky on his skin but he didn't remember much after that.

Derek closed his eyes with a groan. He had fallen asleep before Stiles had finished. The first time he had let Stiles fuck him and he had fallen asleep on him. He was a horrible boyfriend. Not that that was anything new.

Stiles was still sleeping, sprawled out on his side of the bed with one arm and one leg hanging over the edge and his other hand trapped somewhere under Derek.

The blanket was pooled around his waist, leaving the trail of light hair leading down just visible enough to make Derek want to put his mouth on it and follow it under the blanket. He wanted to make it up to Stiles for leaving him hanging last night and a blow-job seemed a pretty good idea, maybe with some use of his stubble, Stiles had really liked that, but Derek hesitated.

Stiles was still fast asleep and they hadn't discussed this beforehand. Derek didn't know how Stiles felt about wake-up blow-jobs and he didn't want to molest him in his sleep.

"Stiles?" Derek asked in a low voice and placed a chaste kiss on his cheek. "Stiles, wake up."

It was a bit early for them to be up but they had turned in earlier than usual last night and maybe this way they got some time for themselves before they had to face the world.

"Hmm?" Stiles made without opening his eyes. He was still more asleep than awake but that was good enough for now.

"I want to blow you." Derek whispered in his ear and Stiles' eyes snapped open.

"Wha...?" His sleep-raspy voice croaked over the word.

"Can I?"

Stiles' eyes were still unfocused and dilated but he gave Derek a nod and was already scrambling to get the blanket out of the way.

Derek was still experimenting with what Stiles liked. He had been really into his beard the other day but yesterday Derek had only used hands and mouth and he'd found a few things that really did it for Stiles as well.

So when he went down on him now, he made sure to give the soft skin of his hip and inner thighs some attention with his scruff before he turned his attention to Stiles' growing erection. He wasn't fully hard yet so Derek took him in his mouth and sucked and licked him until he was fully erect and Derek felt the pulsing heat on his tongue when he went down on Stiles as far as he could.

When he had his cock wet and sloppy from base to tip, Derek let go with an obscene plop and ran his cheek down the shaft.

Stiles went wild. Derek had to hold down his hip to keep him steady while he worked him over with his beard.

He did the same with his balls, sucking them into his mouth first, getting them all wet and sensitive, before he scraped over them.

Stiles was writhing and keening under him, making the most beautiful noises, and Derek just went with it. So when he turned his attention back to Stiles' cock, working it over with his mouth and beard, he reached up with the hand not holding down Stiles' hip and put his clawed hand on his sternum. And when he raked his beard down the shaft, he did the same with his hand over Stiles' chest and stomach.

Stiles screamed.

He came in long spurts, hitting Derek's face and his own chest, and only with a delay Derek recognized his own name in Stiles' scream.

Then he lay boneless under Derek, chest heaving but not moving otherwise. A smug grin on his face Derek came up to him and placed a kiss on Stiles' open mouth.

"That's one hell of a wake-up call." Stiles brought out the words between grasps for air. "What did I do to deserve that?"

"Nothing." Derek stretched out next to him, one hand on his chest. There were red marks trailing down but he hadn't broken the skin so he hoped it was okay. Stiles wasn't complaining but maybe he hadn't realized yet that it hadn't been Derek's blunt human nails leaving red lines on his pale skin.

"What did you do?" Stiles cracked open an eye. He was joking, Derek knew that, but he couldn't shake off the guilty feeling. Derek ducked his head to avoid his eye but of course that got Stiles' attention. "Derek?"

"I fell asleep on you." Why did he even need to remind him of that? "I'm sorry, it won't happen again."

"Oh, boy." Stiles sighed but shook his head fondly. "I wanted you to relax and just let go. That you fell asleep is a success in my book."

"But you weren't done."

"I did come." Stiles turned his head to kiss his forehead. "I know it wasn't a scene but taking you there, helping you to calm your mind so you can sleep, you know that's a thing for me."

Derek wasn't convinced but he lay back down with his head on Stiles' shoulder. They still had time before they had to get up.

"Speaking of scenes." Stiles said a moment later, breaking the silence. Silence was something he never dealt with well. Derek hid his smile and waited for what was on Stiles' mind now.

"When you mentioned that you want to do the full survey, I went ahead and printed it out." His fingers had found their way to Derek's hair almost on their own and he was absently carding through it while he spoke. "We could go over it over breakfast?" He sounded almost hesitant as if he wasn't sure if Derek was ready for that.

They had sex outside the playroom without dom or sub undertones and Stiles considered them boyfriends, a term Derek was still getting used to but he liked it. Derek was ready for more in the playroom as well. There was a lot he wanted to try and he trusted Stiles to go there with him. This was nothing like it had been with her.

"I'd love to."

With his fingertips, now blunt and harmless, he followed the still prominent lines on Stiles' front.

"Stop worrying." Stiles caught his hand and intertwined their fingers. "I told you that I like it a bit rough. I'm not scared of you. You won't hurt me, I know that. I trust you."

Derek didn't know how often he would need to hear it until he would start to believe it but the words felt good.

They still took their time getting out of bed, Stiles didn't let him go anywhere until he'd coaxed an orgasm out of Derek as well, and then they went for separate showers. When Derek came back out of his bedroom, freshly showered and fighting with the buttons of his shirt, he found the table set with their breakfast like usual but Stiles wasn't there yet.

Derek poured them two cups of coffee and then set down to wait for Stiles. He was a little nervous but it wasn't as bad as the first time they had discussed this. Stiles joined him a minute later, two stacks of papers in his hand. He handed one to Derek.

Derek took another sip from his coffee before he dared to have a look.

There were the non-sexual ones he knew from last time but he would have to think about a few of them, he might have changed his mind here and there.

And then there were the sexual ones.

The next few minutes Derek was just reading through them while he absently ate his breakfast. Some things he crossed out immediately, who the hell liked to get their dick electrified?, but others he had never thought about before and some he had no clue what they even meant.

But Stiles was ready and willing to answer all his questions.

"I can show you a video, if you like." Was Stiles' answer to the more obscurer items on the list but after he'd seen a video of a guy who got his balls squished between to plates of Plexiglas, Derek declined the offer.

But there were a few things that caught his eye and he was eager to try them out.

After they were done, they compared their lists but they weren't too contrary, neither of them had put one of the other's favorites on the don't pile.

"I can work with this." Stiles stacked the papers to a neat pile. "Since Wednesday is going to be our first time with the sexy stuff, is there something you really want to do?"

Derek hadn't expected the option to pick, that was Stiles' part, so he had to think about it for a second. There was one thing popping in his mind, though.

"Just tell me." Stiles reached for his hand and gave it an encouraging squeeze. "It's your free pass, whatever you want."

"I'd like to …" His face felt hot. How could Stiles talk about this stuff so openly? "Can we try … sounding?" The last word came out so low, he wasn't sure if Stiles could even hear it.

"Have you done that before?" Stiles asked and Derek breathed easier. At least he didn't have to repeat himself.

"No." He shook his head. "But I'd like to try?"

"Thank you for telling me." Stiles leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "I'm proud of you."

Those words never failed to turn Derek into a squishy marshmallow on the inside.

Suddenly Wednesday seemed way too far away.

However, they still had a casino to manage and with the upcoming party tomorrow, they had lots of stuff to do.

At first Derek hadn't really noticed but he and Stiles went to meetings separately more often lately, it saved time and apparently Stiles trusted him to make decisions on his own. Usually they met in the afternoon in Stiles' office to compare their schedules and to brief each other and Stiles signed whatever needed signing.

For some reason Derek was the one everybody, from the hotel over the casino to the shows and even the restaurants and shops, called when there was an unhappy guest to deal with who wouldn't accept any decision from anybody less than the owner. Those guests had enough money to make them feel entitled to everything and since they were willing to spend their money in the casino it was Derek's job to make them happy again.

How he'd become the one for that job he had no idea, most of the time he had to restrain himself from biting some idiot's head off.

Derek was just glad when he could disappear in the staff only areas, there were no whiny guests there.

Isaac informed him about the new security protocols and the schedule to train the staff for those. At least Isaac had it under control and just needed Stiles' okay to set everything in motion.

"No sign from Harris by the way." Isaac said when Derek was already on his way to the door, he would meet the PR guy in five to discuss the last details for the party tomorrow.

"Can't say I miss him."

"Yeah, but it's unusual." Isaac shook his head. "He's worked here since before Stiles took over and he hasn't been sick a day. And for the last two days he hasn't even called, he just didn't show."

"You were looking for a reason to fire him." Derek reminded him. "Now he's handing you one on a silver platter."

Isaac hmmed to that.

"You think he has something to do with the bomb threat?" As far as Derek knew the police still didn't know who had been behind it. Stiles should be with Detective Morgan this very moment for a final statement, a meeting Derek had opted out of, but what he'd heard so far the police was leaning towards a prank.

"I don't know." Isaac said. "It's just weird, you know?"


	37. Chapter 37

When they had come up with the Fuck You party, which was still Stiles' unofficial name for it, Derek had expected something like the party the wannabe movie star had thrown. Not that he held that one in fond memory. He still had no idea who that woman had been who had assaulted him at the party, he just hoped that she wouldn't be at the party at the Red as well. But Stiles had seen her so Derek was pretty sure that she was banned from the Red for life.

Saturday started out fairly normal but at five in the afternoon the Red closed its doors for the public. Then they had two hours to get the casino ready for the party.

Isaac was running around like a headless chicken, events like this were a disaster for security, and Stiles and Derek weren't off any better. Sure, there were others in charge and they all did an awesome job but it was Stiles who had the final say in everything. Or Derek. By now everybody knew that he ranked as high as Stiles so when the champagne delivery was late, it was Derek who had to make calls to get enough bottles here before the grand opening.

Meanwhile Stiles was busy with checking the tables and the food and making sure that the croupiers were all ready to entertain their guests.

Then they had to hurry back to the penthouse to get ready as well.

"It's fashionable to be late to your own party." Stiles assured him but then he rushed to his own room to get dressed.

This was the event Derek's tailored suit had been waiting for. He put it on and he could immediately tell the difference. His other suits fit him very well and Stiles never got tired of telling him how good he looked in those but this was a whole different league. For almost a whole minute Derek stood in front of the mirror and couldn't believe that he was the handsome young man looking back at him.

When he met up with Stiles in the living room, the other man did a double take and just gaped at him.

"You know, when this is over." Stiles waved in the direction of the elevator, indicating the party waiting for them. "We should really have angry sex."

"What?"

"Have you seen yourself?" Now Stiles was gesturing at him. "I'm not sure if I should let you out of here like this. I'm seriously tempted to drag you in the bedroom right now."

Squirming under the attention, Stiles was undressing him with his eyes and didn't even try to hide it, Derek tried to come up with something to say.

"You look good, too." He finally said. And Stiles did. He was wearing one of his burgundy suits with a black silk shirt. It emphasized his lean body and long legs. Derek had some ideas of his own at that sight.

"But you're smoking." Stiles replied but then he took mercy on him and closed the distance between them. "Ready?"

"Ready." Derek leaned in for a kiss.

Then Stiles rolled his shoulders and when he stepped over to the elevator, he was Stiles Stilinski, playboy and casino owner.

Derek took his place one step behind him. Tonight he was Stiles' personal assistant but more so he was a glorified whore. And he was surprisingly okay with that role. Even if nobody out there knew it, it was an act. Just like Stiles' playboy attitude was an act. This was Vegas, everything here was an act.

By the time they reached the casino most of the guests had made their way over the red carpet, they had an actual red carpet, and past the paparazzi and were already enjoying their first glass of champagne.

Stiles dove right in. A second later he had a glass in hand and was greeting his guests. It was just like hitting the floor every night but up a few notches. Like a butterfly Stiles was moving from one group to the next, having a word for everyone and apparently he knew everybody.

Derek's job was to trail behind him and to look pretty. He was rarely addressed directly but there were glances and whispered words. Some were openly admiring him from head to toe and he wondered how many offers to borrow him for a while Stiles would get over the evening. And how many would approach him directly.

Stiles held his opening speech, during which Derek held his breath for the disaster just waiting to happen but surprisingly the word fuck never crossed Stiles' lips, and then they were back in the middle of the crowd.

"Aren't you a handsome one?" Suddenly a female voice startled him from the side. Derek steeled himself and put on a fake smile when he turned around to face whoever was standing next to him.

"Ms. Martin." He realized when he took in the petite figure and strawberry red hair.

"Lydia, please." She gave him a warm smile.

"I hope you're enjoying the party, Lydia." He said in lack of something smart to say.

"More than you." She said with a tilt of her head at the nearest group of people. He didn't even need to strain his ears to hear one of the men explaining who Derek was to the rest of the group.

"Want to get away for a moment?" Lydia asked and then started to walk away, clearly expecting him to follow. Derek shared a quick glance with Stiles who gave him an impatient jerk of his head in her direction.

Right, nobody let Lydia Martin wait. Derek hurried to catch up with her.

At least this time she seemed friendly. She was a scary woman, Derek couldn't deny that, but with her he knew that she wouldn't try to assault him. She led him to the foyer where they had some privacy. They weren't alone but there were only a few other people around and nobody close enough to listen in to their conversation.

"Stiles refuses to tell me why he keeps you around." She didn't beat around the bush.

"And you expect me to tell you?" Derek raised an eyebrow at her.

"Will you?" She countered with a perfect arc of her own eyebrow. "Of course not."

She put a hand on her hip with an huff. She was wearing a light-green dress that lit up her hair and made her eyes sparkle with irritation. Derek wondered if she'd made it herself.

"I've heard the rumors." She said when he failed to fill the silence. "I know Stiles, that's not him. But I don't think that you're running some kind of con here either." She tapped her foot and threw him a glance. "Stiles is smart and whatever the deal with you is, he has it under control and is probably three steps ahead of everybody else."

"And you're mad because he's ahead of you as well?" Derek guessed. He didn't know her well but he got that she was used to be the one ahead.

"For all I know you two have movie nights and throw popcorn at the TV together." She said, watching him closely. "You sleep in separate beds and you laugh your butts off about the speculations."

That was closer to the truth than anything Derek had ever heard before. Something in his expression must have given him away, though.

"Thought so." A satisfied smile spread on her lips. She might not know the details but she thought that she had figured it out.

"We do that." Derek admitted and lowered his voice to a conspiracy whisper for the next words. "When we don't do the other stuff."

Now she narrowed her eyes on him and he could almost see the wheels turning in her head. But he didn't expect her next words.

"I saw you looking at him earlier." She said in an equal low voice. "Are you in love with him?"

Blindsided by that question Derek didn't know what to say. His first reaction was to deny it, even if he was in love with Stiles, which he was pretty sure he was, it was none of her business. But he couldn't bring out the words so he said nothing and just glared at her.

She watched him struggle with clear amusement in her eyes.

"Oh, Derek." She patted his arm. "If you want to play in this league you still have a lot to learn."

Whatever that meant.

Derek still had no idea what she actually wanted from him but she seemed satisfied.

"I have some people to meet." She said and with that the conversation was over. She gave him one last once over, an approving look on her face, and then she turned to leave.

Derek watched her walking away and still had no clue what this had been about. Slower he followed her back to the main area.

"Derek." Ennis emerged out of the crowd as if he'd been waiting for him.

Derek bit back a groan. He'd never liked the other werewolf and the fact that he'd been so quick in his attempt to trick Stiles into handing over the Red to the Executive Board didn't make him more likable. Not that Derek thought for one second that it had been Ennis' idea. The whole Executive Board wanted Stiles out of the picture so that they could sell the Red to Jennifer Blake.

"Can I help you?" Derek asked while he was searching the crowd for a glimpse of a burgundy suit.

"I'd like to introduce you to somebody." Ennis said and even tried to place a friendly smile on his face.

"Stiles is waiting for me." Whoever Ennis wanted to introduce him to, Derek wasn't interested.

"She insists." Suddenly there was a clawed hand around his wrist. Derek tried to yank his hand free but Ennis had him in an iron grip. "It won't take long."

Derek didn't want to crash the party with an open fight, people were already looking at them, so he followed Ennis to the other side of the floor where the private rooms where.

There were two women waiting for them. One Derek recognized as Jennifer Blake and the other one was an alpha werewolf, Derek knew that the second he caught her scent, so she had to be Kali.

"Alpha." He greeted her first and tried to not show how anxious he was. She was an alpha and had her pack with her and Derek was just a beta, all alone.

He tried to calm his heart but the werewolf part of him wanted to run with his tail between his legs.

"Derek Hale." Kali looked him up and down. Everybody seemed to do that tonight but he really didn't like the way she looked at him. It was too calculating.

"We have an offer for you." Jennifer spoke up.

Derek turned his head to her without letting Kali out of his sight, he would be a fool to turn his back on an alpha who wasn't his. His mind was spinning with possibilities. Did they want him to spy on Stiles? Or something more drastic?

Derek put on the most stoic face he could muster and waited for their offer.

"You're very close to Stiles Stilinski." She continued, playing along the lines Derek had predicted.

"Your alpha betrayed you." Kali cut in and that was a direction Derek hadn't anticipated. "He doesn't care about you. You're not his beta, you're his bitch."

Derek clenched his jaw but didn't say anything.

"His bitch he can use as payment for his gambling debts." She was right in his face now, her alpha scent fogging his mind. Behind her Ennis snickered and that helped Derek to focus. She was an alpha and this was her territory but she was also a civilized person. She wouldn't kill him in a private room in Stiles' casino with a party going on right outside the door.

"What do you want?" He met her eye.

"Information." Jennifer took over again. "We want you to report us about everything Stiles does and plans."

"Don't you have enough spies in here already?" Derek made a point of looking at Ennis but there were the werewolves working in the casino and quite a few people the Executive Board really wanted to keep. As far as he knew the whole Executive Board sent them reports of everything they did.

"We had to let one go recently." Ennis said with an evil grin but was shut down by a flesh of red eyes from his alpha.

"Help us and we'll help you." Jennifer said.

"How could you help me?"

Now Kali stepped even closer and put a hand on his chest. Derek fought the urge to swat it away.

"You could earn yourself a place in my pack." She whispered in his ear.


	38. Chapter 38

"You okay?" Stiles asked him when he finally returned to his side. As far as Stiles knew Derek had only been with Lydia and he knew that she meant no harm. That Ennis had snagged him on the way back, Stiles didn't know.

"Later." Derek answered and fell back into his role as Stiles' shadow.

Stiles studied him for a moment longer but here in the casino, in the middle of a party, was not the time and place to discuss this.

However, Stiles must sense that something was bothering him because he made sure that their hands brushed occasionally and he bumped into Derek more often than usual. And when they went to the bathroom and found it empty, Stiles used the chance to let his hands slip under Derek's jacket.

"Just a little while longer." He promised. "We can sneak out in an hour or so."

"Bailing from your own party?" Derek raised an eyebrow at him.

"It's not as if they'll miss me." He leaned in for a kiss.

That was true. They weren't short on drinks and with the party taking place in a casino, everybody had fun losing the chips Stiles had provided them with as a little welcome gift. Derek had noticed that they didn't stop playing once those chips were gone.

"Parties like this pay themselves." Had been Stiles' comment on that.

However, they didn't manage to sneak out an hour later. Or two hours later. It was past four in the morning when they finally got back to the penthouse. They were both tired on their feet so they just shrugged out of their suits, brushed their teeth and then fell into Derek's bed.

Derek couldn't recall how they had both ended up in his bed but he was too tired to figure that one out. He just beat his pillow into submission and once it was comfy enough he closed his eyes with a sigh and was asleep a moment later.

They slept in the next day and then had a lazy breakfast. With the party in mind Derek had made sure that their schedule wasn't too packed today and they had some time.

"I met Jennifer Blake and Kali last night." Derek said over breakfast.

"About time." Stiles said around a mouthful of pancake. "How much did they offer you?"

Why wasn't he surprised that Stiles wasn't surprised?

"A place in their pack." Derek took a sip of coffee.

"That's better than money." Stiles swallowed and used the napkin before he turned his attention on Derek. "Are you considering it?"

"They said that I can earn my place in their pack by spying on you."

"Are they serious?" Stiles shook his head with a chuckle. "That's the same strategy they had with _We'll give you back your casino once the crisis is over_." He dropped his voice to imitate Ennis. "Why do they think it'll work now?"

"Maybe they think I'm more stupid." Derek pushed the scrambled eggs around on his plate, he wasn't really hungry anymore. "Or more desperate."

"I got Peter with that trick." Stiles reminded him. "And he's far from stupid. You spotted the trap immediately."

"He was more desperate." He wasn't going to touch the idea that he was smarter than Peter.

"Are you tempted?" Stiles asked. "I mean, getting away from Peter …" He made a vague gesture.

"They'll just dangle it in front of me." Derek pushed his plate away. "They have no intention to accept me in their pack."

Like everybody else Jennifer and Kali were under the impression that he was working off his alpha's debt. The second Kali accepted him in his pack, he had no reason to obey Peter and to stay with Stiles any longer. He would be useless to them.

"Besides, I don't like them." Derek said. Ennis had rubbed him the wrong way from the beginning and Jennifer hadn't made a good impression the first time he'd met her either and Kali wasn't any better. She had used her alpha status to intimidate him and that was not a sign of a good alpha. Laura hadn't been like that and neither had his mother.

"Nobody likes them." Stiles muttered.

"And I'm far from desperate." He took Stiles' hand and intertwined their fingers. "They don't know that I am exactly where I want to be." He kept his gaze on Stiles' long fingers between his. "With you." It was the closest he'd come to the three big words so far and he hoped that Stiles got the meaning.

Suddenly he had Stiles sitting in his lap. Not really sitting, more a messy sideways sprawl with his feet dangling and his butt hanging over the other side of Derek's legs. Derek put his arm around his back to prevent him from falling over but Stiles had his arms already around his neck, more for balance than anything else, but since their faces were only inches apart Stiles used the chance for a kiss.

Derek parted his lips and let him in and after a moment he darted his tongue out to trace along Stiles' bottom lip. When he took it between his teeth and gave it a little tuck, Stiles groaned and his hands found their way to Derek's hair.

"We don't have time." Derek reminded him. They weren't in a hurry but they needed to get going soon. And if he let Stiles have his way, he would have to redo his hair before they left the suite. Not that he usually minded when Stiles played with his hair, quite the opposite, but not when he still had the whole day ahead.

"We didn't have angry sex last night." Stiles kissed him again but let go of his hair. "We need to get back to that tonight."

"Do you mean just rough or …?" His eyes shifted over to the door of the playroom, now innocently closed. Stiles followed his gaze.

"Do you need it?" He asked. An understandable question considering what they had been talking about earlier. Plus, he would see Peter tomorrow. The wolf part of him was looking forward to seeing his alpha but the rest of him was wary. He wouldn't put it past Peter to try something.

Stiles had been thinking along the same lines so Isaac would drive him and would wait right outside the door. To protect Derek but that would not be the impression Peter would get from that. To him Isaac would look like he was guarding a prisoner. At least that was Stiles' plan.

"I'm good." Derek assured him. "But I'm open for either."

Wednesday was their play day but they could squish in a scene here and there if they wanted to, right?

"Let's see when we get back and how tired we are then." Stiles decided and slipped off his lap. "Okay, what's the first thing today?"

There weren't that many meetings scheduled for today so they sat for hours in Stiles' office with boring paperwork.

By now Derek had a permanent work place there and he preferred that over the front desk Stiles had offered him. He might be kind of a secretary and there was an empty desk just waiting for him right outside Stiles' office but he liked working with Stiles. Even when both of them were engrossed in their own work and didn't talk for hours. Not that Stiles was ever really quiet but Derek had found out that he liked the low-key babbling in the background.

That was the reason he had also declined the offer of an office for himself. Like he'd said earlier, as long as he was with Stiles, he was right where he wanted to be.

However, working together like this came with way less making out than anybody would have expected. Stiles was actually able to focus on his work and if he hadn't Derek to bring him coffee and to remind him of his next appointment, he would just sit there and work, with a side of procrastination on the internet when something caught his eye, for hours. How he'd managed to run his casino before Derek had arrived was still a mystery yet to be solved.

Plus, being with Stiles behind closed doors for hours stirred up the rumors quite nicely.

Derek glanced up from his laptop over to Stiles who was sitting behind his desk, a pen between his parted lips and long fingers leaving through some papers.

He would be lying if he said that he hadn't thought about crawling under Stiles' desk for a blow-job. Or about getting spanked over that desk. But so far nothing more scandalous than a kiss had happened in here and it didn't look like that would change any time soon. Not that Derek was really considering it, without a secretary outside most people just knocked and waltzed in the next second. And getting caught like that was not a fantasy of Derek.

Besides, they had actual work to do.

Later that day Erica called.

"Danny has time for you tomorrow." She said without a real greeting.

"Who?"

"Danny Mahealani?" She pronounced every syllable as if he was stupid. "The hacker who left that little program in your system?"

"Right, I remember." With everything else going on he had totally forgotten about that. "When?"

Turned out it fit right in with his date with Peter. He and Isaac would meet up with Peter and then they would join Erica and Danny for a coffee. And it would give Derek a reason to not draw out his time with Peter, it would be easier if he could look at the time and didn't have to lie when he said that he had to go.

"You're not going to join us?" Derek asked when Stiles didn't include himself in the plan.

"We don't want to crowd him." Stiles dismissed the idea. "Besides, you and Erica are the experts. I know less about this stuff than Isaac and he can't keep up with you two."

Derek was pretty sure that Stiles could run circles around them if he put his mind to it and learned about this but there was too much else Stiles had on his mind and with Derek and Isaac, he didn't have to deal with this as well.

It wasn't too late when they made it back to the suite that night, just after two in the morning, and they were both too keyed up to go to sleep immediately.

They barely made it to the living room before Stiles was all over him. His hands slipped under Derek's jacket and he brought their lips together for a hungry kiss.

Derek hadn't been sure if they would do something tonight or if they would just drop dead into bed but the smell of arousal coming from Stiles had increased over the last hours, leaving Derek with a semi hard-on since midnight.

Their jackets landed on the floor and Stiles was already fighting with the buttons of Derek's shirt.

"I want you." Stiles breathed into his throat. He was leaving a trail of little nips and kisses and Derek bared his throat for him willingly. The way Stiles' breath hitched at that he knew what that meant for a werewolf.

"How do you want me?" Derek walked them backwards until Stiles' back hit the wall. He pinned him there with his hip and Stiles' right leg slipped between his. Through their pants he felt the hard line of Stiles' erection and when they rocked against each other, Derek moaned into the crook of Stiles' neck.

"I want …" Stiles clung to him with the most filthiest moan on his lips when Derek ground his hip against him. "I want to tie you to my bed and ride you until you scream."

"We should take this over to your bed, then." He didn't move to let Stiles off the wall, though. Instead Derek ran his cheek along Stiles' throat. Under him Stiles gasped for air and bared his throat for Derek to do whatever he wanted with the exposed skin.

The wolf part of him went wild with this showing of trust and devotion. He littered every inch of smooth skin with kisses and nips, leaving hickeys and stubble burn on his way.

And when his blunt human teeth turned into fangs he only noticed when Stiles' moans turned into something primeval.

Derek had just enough time to wonder if he'd gone too far before Stiles bucked into him again and the sharp scent of his come filled Derek's nose.


	39. Chapter 39

Coming down from his orgasm Stiles sagged against Derek who held him upright against the wall with ease.

"You know." Stiles caught his breath but didn't put weight on his own legs just yet. "You made a huge a mistake there." Suddenly there was steel in his voice.

Derek froze. He had been bold with his claws the other day and Stiles had seemed to like it but fangs on his throat …

"I'm sorry." Derek backed off. Of course Stiles was angry with him now. He must be freaking out, was maybe even scared of him.

"I didn't mean to …" Derek tried to put some distance between them but Stiles didn't let him go. In a swift move he spun them around, reversing their position and suddenly Derek was trapped between Stiles and the wall.

"Making me come in my pants like that." Stiles cupped his face with both hands and forced Derek to look at him. "You made it so much harder for yourself. Pun intended." He leaned in for a kiss, soft and gentle. "Because I'm still going to ride you until you scream."

One hand slipped down to palm him through his pants. His erection had faltered but it came back to full attention under Stiles' hand.

"I'm going to ride you and you're not going to come before me. And if I have to put a cock ring on you …" Stiles whispered the last part in his ear and suddenly Derek was glad for the wall he was leaning against because he legs buckled under him.

"You like that, don't you?" Stiles gave his cock a squeeze and Derek canted his hips into his hand. "So desperate, so needy. You're going to beg me to let you come."

Stiles dragged him over to the bedroom, already working on getting him out of his clothes. By the time Derek lay stretched out and naked on Stiles' bed his cock was aching in need for some fiction, leaking precome on his stomach, but Stiles ignored it for now, he was too busy with tying his wrists to the headboard.

He wasn't using the cuff Derek wore on their Wednesdays, though, and for some reason that was important. This was in the gray area between the stuff they did in the playroom and normal kinky sex. Derek didn't know where they stood with this exactly but he liked it.

Derek tested his limits but with his arms stretched out like this he couldn't do much more than lean back against the pillow Stiles had stuffed between his head and the headboard.

Then Stiles held up a cock ring.

"Color?"

"Green." Derek swallowed thickly.

Since he was this hard already, putting the ring on wasn't easy and Derek had to grit his teeth to not come from the tight ring sliding down his shaft alone. But then it sat snug around the base, an ungiving iron band, and his cock already felt larger and harder than ever before.

Stiles gave him a few strokes but then let go of him to undress himself. Slowly. And he folded his clothes neatly on a chair.

Derek groaned but with his hands secured to the headboard he could only watch. When Stiles was finally naked, Derek thought that they would go on with the program now but Stiles needed to prep himself first.

Kneeling over Derek with his back turned to him, Derek had a front row seat for the show. Helpless he watched Stiles working himself open and of course he took his time and did the whole one, two, three fingers. He was more than ready to take Derek's cock but just to fuck with him, and not in the good way, Stiles squeezed in his pinky as well and fucked all four fingers in and out of his already lose hole.

"C'mon." Derek groaned but over his shoulder Stiles just gave him an evil grin. He drew out the teasing for a little while longer but then he pulled his fingers free with an obscene wet sound and wiped them clean with a towel.

And then, finally, he turned around to face Derek and when he reached for him, Derek gasped at the touch, his cock jerking in Stiles' hand.

Stiles got in position and ever so slowly he sank down on his shaft. When Stiles' tight heat surrounded him completely, they both needed a moment to adjust.

Stiles started with grinding his hips in agonizing slow circles.

"You're big." He breathed out and leaned back to get another angle. "Filling me so good." He squeezed his muscles and Derek couldn't help but buck into him.

Stiles gave him a stern look and braced his hands on his chest to bring their faces closer together.

"None of that or I have to tie your feet as well." He leaned in to kiss Derek's slack lips. All Derek could focus on was his cock sliding half-way out of Stiles with that move.

"You're going to lie here and enjoy the ride." Stiles told him. "I'm going to come on your cock and don't you dare coming before me."

Stiles wasn't even hard yet.

Derek let his head drop back with a groan but all he could do was to hold on to the headboard.

Then Stiles started to ride him. Slow at first, only lifting up an inch or two before he dropped back, but soon he gained momentum and was riding his cock in earnest.

In the end Derek did scream.

And he did beg. Sobbing through his fangs.

But Stiles didn't show any mercy. He altered between hard thrusts, taking Derek deep, and slow drags of Derek's cock against his prostate, only focused on his own pleasure. With his eyes half-closed and his back bowed backwards he was a sight to see, lean body and smooth skin, and Derek just wanted to touch and taste him but he wasn't really part of this.

He would have blown his load minutes ago if it hadn't been for the ring around his cock and by the time Stiles went rigid and clammed down on him like a vice, his come hitting Derek on the chin, Derek was a writhing mess under him. He was long beyond words, reduced to keening around his fangs, and it took every shred of will power he had left to keep himself from coming.

With a sigh Stiles dropped forward and he had to brace himself on Derek's heaving chest to not just crash into him, but he never stopped rocking his hips.

"You did so good." He said, looking at him with pride. "Come."

Derek didn't have to be told twice. Even the ring wasn't enough to hold him back any longer. He arched his back, lifting Stiles up with him and with a broken cry on his lips he came.

Later, after Stiles had released him and had cleaned them both up, they lay together in bed. Derek had his head on Stiles' shoulder, long fingers carding through his hair. They felt both sated and sleepy but not quite ready for sleep yet.

"Was that okay?" Stiles asked and he almost sounded shy. "I kind of blurred the lines there. You seemed to like it but did you?"

"I did." Derek said. For a long moment neither of them spoke but then Derek added: "With her …"

The fingers in his hair stilled but then they started moving again. Soothing.

"With her …" Derek said again. "There had been clear lines. We did scenes but outside of that it was like she didn't even know me. She ignored me when our paths crossed by accident outside of our arrangement." Images bubbled to the surface of his mind and he heard her voice again, sharp and cold. "And in our next scene she would punish me for interrupting her life. So yes, I like that it's not totally separate, that you take things out of the scenes into normal life. That I'm part of your life outside of the playroom." His voice dropped into a whisper at the end and Derek felt as if he'd said too much.

"We." Stiles said, emphasizing the word. "We decide if we want to keep it strictly in the playroom or not. It's something we do together. That's the base line of every relationship but especially in the BDSM lifestyle, we decide together the dos and don'ts of our relationship."

He paused for a moment to let the words sink in. "You've no idea how much I want to get my hands on that bitch. What she did to you … I have no words. That's unforgivable. She doesn't know what she had in you. You're such a wonderful person, smart, handsome. I bet she doesn't even know your dry humor or how kind you are. How responsive you are as a sub. Having you on your knees for me, that's an honor. Having you in my life is a gift I don't deserve but you're here. I can't believe that you're here with me."

Derek felt the heat creeping into his cheeks with every word and he was just glad that they were lying in the dark so Stiles didn't see it. He must notice the hot tears falling on his naked chest, though, but Stiles didn't comment on that. He just kept stroking Derek's head.

Work had them back in the morning and since Derek wouldn't be in for the most part of the afternoon, his moderate Monday schedule turned stressful rather quickly.

They parted after breakfast and Derek didn't see Stiles again before he left with Isaac to see Peter. Derek had changed into jeans and t-shirt with his leather jacket but even those were leagues better than everything he had before he'd met Stiles.

Derek and Isaac didn't speak during the ride but when Isaac parked the car in the same spot as the last time, when he and Boyd had been here to collect Derek as payment, Isaac held him back when he tried to open the door.

"Take this." He put a small device in Derek's hand. It was a small button that fit neatly under Derek's thumb. "I'll be right outside the door." Isaac continued and suddenly he had a taser in his hand. "And I have this. If you need my help or if you want to leave but don't know how to tell him, press the button. I'll come in to tell you that visiting time is over."

Derek closed his fist around the button, not sure what to say.

"Where did you even get this?"

"Stiles." Now it was Isaac who looked uncomfortable. Anxiety came off him in waves and his heart suddenly beat faster. "It's been a few years but he used to do the same for me. He called it our Batsignal." He let out a strained laugh.

Isaac's past had come up a few times but neither Stiles nor Isaac himself ever said more about it than a throwaway comment or a hint here and there. This was the first time Isaac offered some information and he was clearly waiting for the questions.

"Of course he's Batman." It was just such a Stiles thing to do. Derek fiddled with the button in his hand. "There was a time I needed something like this. But back then I didn't know it. I didn't know how wrong it was." His mind wandered back to all the times he should have pressed the button. But even if he had it back then, he wouldn't have pressed it.

"But we got out." Derek glanced over to Isaac. It didn't matter what had happened to him. Derek didn't want to talk about her or Peter for that matter and he got that Isaac didn't really want to talk about his past either. They got out, that was all that mattered.

Isaac glanced back at him and for a moment they locked eyes. There was some kind of understanding between them. They didn't need to share their stories.

"Peter's waiting." Derek said and put the button in his pocket. When he reached for the door this time, Isaac just nodded and followed suit.

Then Derek stood on the sidewalk and looked up the building that had been his home for years. It felt strange to be back here. He could almost feel Peter, his alpha, and he was eager to see him but on the other hand he was anxious. Would Peter just let him leave again?

Derek squared his shoulders and headed for the door.


	40. Chapter 40

Derek remembered the last time he had climbed these stairs. Back then he'd been dragging his feet, exhausted to the bone and with a constant gnawing in his stomach. Now he was well rested, properly fed and all in all in a way better condition.

He remembered these stairs as a looming mountain he had to climb but now he walked them with ease. The stench of urine and vomit and all the other unpleasant smells was still the same and even the noises coming from the other apartments hadn't changed. There was arguing and shouting, a baby was crying somewhere above him and somebody had the TV on loud.

"I'll wait here." Isaac announced loudly enough for Peter to hear when they reached the door. "Don't take too long." His tone was harsh and commanding but it was betrayed by the wink he gave Derek.

When Derek entered the apartment he found Peter sitting on the same old couch, apparently engrossed in a tattered paperback. Derek had no doubt that he had heard Isaac's words just like intended.

"Derek." Peter greeted him.

Derek bared his throat for him and Peter didn't hesitate to bury his nose in the crook of his neck to scent him.

Something in Derek's chest uncoiled and he took a few deep breaths, taking in his alpha's scent. Peter's hands were on his shoulders, grounding him. They were pack and they were finally back together. He hadn't even realized how much he'd missed his alpha.

Since Stiles was taking care of his need for touch it hadn't been that bad. And with what was developing between him and Stiles and their job in general, Derek didn't have much time to actually miss his alpha.

But now with Peter right here, Derek couldn't help it. He let out a low whine and embraced his alpha in a tight hug. Peter hugged him right back and they stood like that for a moment.

Then Peter put him at arm's length to have a real look at him.

"You look good." Peter said, taking in his face, his styled hair and his expensive clothes. "Mr. Stilinski is taking good care of you?"

"He provides me with everything I need." Derek answered and it wasn't even a lie. He even had a contract saying that Stiles had to provide him with everything he needed and Stiles even filed hugs under that. "He even pays me for the work I do around the casino."

He took out the envelope with this week's "payment". Stiles had insisted that this was extra so that Derek didn't have to touch the money he actually earned with his work.

Peter took the envelope and leaved through the bills.

A moment ago Derek had just been happy to see his alpha and he hadn't even thought about what Peter had done to him but seeing how greedily he took the money brought it all back. Peter had sold him to Stiles to cover his debt and he would have done it again if Stiles hadn't outsmarted him.

"Not bad." Satisfied Peter pocketed the money. "I think I'll leave you with Mr. Stilinski for a little while longer." As if he had any other choice. Stiles would never officially consider his debt paid and there was no way that Peter could pay it off on his own.

"He seems very fond of your service." Peter gave him a feral grin.

"I do my best." Derek answered, not looking him in the eye.

"I knew you could do it." Peter patted his back. "I should have thought about this a lot earlier."

Derek didn't answer to that but he followed Peter over to the old couch and set down next to him. Neither of them were the touchy cuddly type but after being apart for weeks, they both needed the closeness. Peter had his hand on the nape of Derek's neck and Derek leaned into the other man's side.

"You smell like him." Peter observed and didn't even sound sorry.

"I live with him." Derek let out a bitter laugh. He had a shower this morning but after last night it was next to impossible to get rid of Stiles' scent. Especially since they spent so much time together. Not that he wanted to. In fact, he liked that the whole penthouse smelled like both of them.

"I sleep in his bed." He added and he didn't have to fake the accusing tone. It didn't matter that he was doing exactly what Peter wanted him to do out of his own free will. To Peter he was just a cheap whore he could pimp out.

"I'm sure that's not the only thing you're doing in his bed." Peter took an audible sniff at him.

"Do you want details?" Derek snapped and twisted away from him. "Do you want to know about the sex? About what he did when he had my wrists tied to the headboard last night? Or that he has wolfsbane lotion so that I feel what he uses on me hours later? Or that he has a whole closet full of mountain ash restrains?" They hadn't used those yet and Derek was kind of looking forward to that but that wasn't the point here.

Peter had the decency to look ashamed. At least for a second, then he hid behind the mask of being the alpha again.

"I don't want details." He said coldly. "I want results." He patted the pocket where he had put the money Derek had brought him. "And stop with the whining. I see your clothes, I smell the expensive products on you. He takes good care of you."

"I'm a glorified pet." Derek snapped back. It wasn't true but he hoped that Peter didn't notice the little lie.

"You don't smell unhappy." Peter pointed out with a knowing smile. "You thought I wouldn't notice that you actually like bending over for him?"

Suddenly Peter was in his face, his eyes glowing red and the hand was back on Derek's neck with the prick of claws.

"We've finally found something you're good at." With his free hand he patted Derek's cheek.

Without even thinking Derek slipped his hand in his pocket and pressed the button.

He didn't hear Isaac's phone going off, that would defeat the purpose, but a second later there was a knock at the door and without waiting for an answer, Isaac entered the room. He had the taser casually at his side but there was something in his posture that told Derek that he was ready to take on an alpha werewolf if he had to.

"Visiting time is over." Isaac told them. "Time to go, Derek." He did sound like the guard he pretended to be.

"He just arrived." Peter tried to dismiss him. The hand on Derek's neck had lost its claws and he even had a friendly smile for Isaac.

"And now he's leaving." Isaac didn't have anything of that. He stepped closer, taser now ready to use in his hand. "Or are you going to give me trouble, Derek?" He set his jaw in a clear challenge and if Derek didn't know better he would be worried that Isaac would taser him just because.

"I have to go." Derek stood but ducked his head to not look Isaac in the eye. "I'll see you next week."

When he tried to leave, Peter held him back and made a point of scenting him properly. Most likely more to piss off Isaac than to actually strengthen the pack bond.

"Don't do anything stupid." Was Peter's whispered advice before he let go of Derek.

Derek just turned and left with Isaac following him on his heel. To Peter it must look like Isaac was guarding him but if he was honest, Derek felt protected with his friend watching his back.

They kept the charade up until they were in the car, just in case.

"Are you okay?" Isaac asked once the car was moving and the building with Peter and everything regarding his old life was getting smaller in the rear view mirror.

"I'm fine." Derek said but he wasn't sure if it was actually true. Seeing Peter had been somewhat overwhelming. Partly because he was Peter and partly because he was his alpha. Seeing again how little his alpha actually cared about him and that he was more than okay with leaving his beta to a permanent life of sexual slavery as long as he got money out of it, it hurt. It hurt more than Derek had anticipated.

"We have some time until we meet up with Erica." Isaac said with a glance at him. Derek wondered what he was seeing in his face but didn't care enough to but on a stern expression. Somehow Isaac had become a good friend and Derek didn't have to voice what was going on in his mind, Isaac got it.

Isaac drove them to a little park and before Derek could comprehend what was going on he had bought two ice cream cones and a moment later they were sitting on a bench, watching the other people enjoying the park and eating ice cream.

"You're almost as nuts as Stiles." Derek shook his head but gave his ice cream a good lick. He wouldn't admit it but the ice cream did lift his mood.

Isaac just gave him a grin but then his face became serious.

"You know." He was looking straight ahead, maybe watching the woman walking two dogs not far away. "The walls are very thin in that apartment building."

"Imagine it with werewolf ears." Derek said to buy some time to steel himself. "What did you hear?"

In his mind he replayed his conversation with Peter. Isaac knew about the deal Derek had with Stiles but as far as he was concerned they only used the playroom for massages.

"What you said about Stiles." Isaac fiddled with the cone in his hand. "You were just playing along, right?"

"You can't lie to a werewolf." Derek said. They both knew that. His heart-beat had been all over the place, he was sure of that, so Peter had probably not been able to pick up on small stuff but this had been pretty big.

Isaac sucked in a sharp breath and the sour smell of sweat and barely concealed panic hit Derek's nose.

"It's not like that." Helpless Derek reached out for his friend and not for the first time he wondered what his story was. Today he had caught glimpses of an ugly picture. "I didn't tell Peter that it's consensual."

Hesitantly he put his hand on Isaac's shoulder. The other man went rigid under his touch but just when Derek was about to withdraw his hand, he slightly relaxed into it so Derek left it where it was.

"Stiles would never hurt me." Derek said. "Not in ways I don't want. Before he even considered doing anything we went through a twenty pages survey to determine what we want and what we don't want. You know him, you know about the playroom, I'm not the first he took home."

"You're the first who doesn't have a choice." Isaac was still staring ahead, melted ice cream running over his fingers.

"I do have a choice." Derek leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees. His own ice cream was melting as well and he caught a stray drop with his tongue. "What I said to Peter is true but I can tap out any time."

He fished the button out of his pocket.

"Do you know why Stiles has something like this?" He asked. "It's not intended to be a Batsignal. Not like we used it today."

"What is it for?" Isaac had calmed down, Derek could smell it. At least enough to listen.

"I have a safe-word." Derek said, wondering how much Isaac actually knew about this lifestyle. "When I need Stiles to stop I say it and he stops. If I can't speak …" He really didn't want to talk about gags or other things in his mouth like Stiles' cock but Isaac gave him an understanding nod. "I have a gesture or something like this. A button like this comes in handy if somebody is completely immobilized." He wouldn't have known that either if it hadn't been for the blogging sub he was following who liked to get mummified from time to time.

Isaac took the button out of his hand, looking at it with new eyes.

"And he respects that?"

"Yes." Derek answered without hesitation.


	41. Chapter 41

In the next few minutes Derek found out that Isaac knew about the playroom, of course he did, and there was also a club Stiles had frequented before he'd met Derek but that Isaac had never really thought about what happened behind closed doors. He had been more concerned about the security aspect with strangers in the more sensitive areas of the building than anything else.

There had been no scandals and everybody went home happy so there had been no reason for Isaac to think about what exactly was going on in the playroom. And there might have been a good portion of denial involved there on his part as well.

But then Derek had come along.

Derek who didn't have a choice. Derek who stayed. Derek who became a friend to Isaac. And with the rumors going on, Derek understood that his friend was concerned. For the first time Isaac actually thought about what Stiles the Dom actually meant.

To Derek's surprise Isaac turned out to be open minded. He had heard Derek mentioning the wolfsbane lotion and mountain ash restrains, both things that could hurt a werewolf for real, but when Derek assured him that Stiles knew what he was doing and that it was perfectly save, he believed him.

Just like Scott he didn't understand why somebody would want to get worked over with a flogger but unlike Scott he could accept that some people might like it.

Derek couldn't talk to Stiles about this without turning beet-red, maybe because with Stiles he knew that they were talking about things they might actually do, but he answered Isaac's questions open and honest. He didn't go into detail what they were doing in the playroom, and Isaac didn't ask, but he answered the general questions as best as he could. Stiles was better with explaining these things.

In the end Derek gave him a few of the links Stiles had given him when this had all started.

"You should check out this blog." He pointed at the link. "He's a sub and his posts really helped me to understand what this is all about."

Isaac saved the links for later and then put his phone away.

"So, you and Stiles." Isaac drew out the words. "Are you just having some fun or is this serious?"

The fact alone that Isaac called it fun gave Derek hope that he really understood and that the idea of Stiles abusing him was dead once and for all.

"It's serious." Derek fought the urge to make it sound like a question. Stiles called them boyfriends and he had said the big three words a few times, this was serious. Even if Derek didn't understand why but he took it.

Isaac just nodded and that was it. Derek kind of wanted to hug him for that but turned his attention on the sad remains of his ice cream instead.

In the end they had to hurry to meet up with Erica and this hacker guy Danny and were still ten minutes late. Not that Erica and Danny even noticed. When Derek and Isaac entered the coffee shop they found them engrossed in a conversation about data security.

"Danny." Erica looked up when they approached them. "These are Derek and Isaac, they work at the Red."

"Nice to meet you." Danny greeted them. His eyes lit up when he saw Derek but Derek just ignored it. By now he was used to people undressing him with their eyes but at least Danny seemed to just enjoy the view without prejudice. He probably didn't know about what was going on at the Red.

They got themselves some coffee and took their seats.

"Erica said you have some questions about a job I did a few years ago?" Danny asked in a low enough voice that the table next to them wouldn't hear him.

"We found this program in our system." Derek explained. "We don't know what it does exactly but it's sending out data. The guy responsible for the system gave us your name."

There was a moment of confusion on Danny's face and he opened his mouth to say that he had no idea what they were talking about, no doubt, but then realization hit.

"The Red Riding Hood." He leaned back in his chair with a low laugh. "I remember that job."

"What kind of job was it?" Isaac asked.

"Pretty standard." Danny shrugged. "I was hired for a security check. The usual, I hack the system and then I work out a plan to make it more secure. The guy I worked with at your casino was a moron so if he fucked up afterwards, it's not my fault."

Erica and Derek shared a glance, they both remembered Andrew very well.

"And the program you left there?" Isaac prompted.

"About that." A wicked grin crept on his face. "The head of security, a real douchebag, …" He started but was interrupted by an outraged "Hey!" from Isaac.

Erica snorted coffee and Derek had to stifle a laugh.

"Not you." Danny waved him off. "Don't remember his name but he was older than you, stick up his ass and an attitude as if everybody else was way beneath him. Must have been before your time."

"Harris?" Isaac asked after a moment.

"That's his name." Danny pointed his finger at him. "Anyway, douchebag came to me and asked for a favor. Something about change of leadership and that he needed a back door into the system just in case."

"That son of a bitch." Erica blurted out.

"What exactly did he want?" Derek asked because the program they had found was more than just a back door.

"Access to everything." Danny answered with a scowl. "I was hired to prevent exactly that and he really rubbed me the wrong way."

"What did you do?" Erica asked, a knowing smile on her lips.

"I offered him a better solution." His smile was matching Erica's now. "A little bot that would gather all relevant information and would send it to him automatically."

"That doesn't make sense." Derek shook his head. "It's sending data but it's not going anywhere, there is nothing at the other end to pick it up."

"He must have gotten sick of the porn." Danny finished his coffee with a shrug.

"You didn't." Erica looked at him in awe.

"I did." He looked very proud of himself. "A 24/7 constant stream of porn."

"Merry me." Erica kissed him on the cheek and Danny turned adorably red.

"You're cheating on Boyd?" Derek raised his eyebrows at her but he was already thinking about the virus infestation they most likely had from the porn sites that bot had been visiting for two years. That their system was still running counted as a miracle.

Next to him Isaac must have been thinking along the same lines but when he opened his mouth to say something, Danny was quicker.

"You can untwist your panties." He assured them. "I know what I'm doing, your system is safe. At least it's not in any danger from my bot. It only channels the data without any connection to your system. Its source is one single site I set up myself, it's clean. I use it for pranks but I don't want to cause actual harm."

"I'll feel better once it's gone and we did a whole system check." Isaac muttered and Derek could only agree.

They set up a date for Danny to come in and delete the bot and everybody went home happy. At least Derek and Isaac went home, Danny and Erica stayed, sharing war stories.

"Should I warn Boyd while I'm at it?" Isaac asked on the way back to the car, phone already in hand. Boyd needed to have a closer look at their friend Harris. He had called in sick a few days ago, Derek remembered vaguely. Boyd had even suspected him to be the one behind the bomb threat the other day.

"There's no reason to." Derek assured him. Danny had looked at him and Erica in different ways. Derek he wanted to drag to the restroom for a fuck, Erica he wanted to bond with over beer and pizza.

"Hey, Boyd." Isaac said into his phone. "Just a quick question, did you hear anything from Harris lately?"

Since Isaac was on the phone, Derek was the one driving and he didn't bother with listening in to the conversation.

"Okay, thanks." Isaac ended the call.

"He called in for the first day but he never called again." He informed Derek. "He didn't show up for his shift either. Boyd's trying to contact him now." If he hadn't done so already, Boyd would now have a closer look at the former head of security as well.

"You think it's coincidence?" Derek asked. But why would it spook him now? The bot had been there since around the time Stiles had taken over the Red and even if Andrew had known about Harris approaching Danny, and Derek highly doubted that, Andrew would have warned Harris weeks ago.

Isaac drove them back to the Red and the whole time Derek was thinking. There was something tugging at the back of his mind.

"Ennis said that they lost a spy recently." Derek blurted out when he finally got a hold on the memory.

"You spent to much time with Stiles." Isaac gave him an unimpressed look. "A little more context?"

"At the party." Derek tried to remember what exactly Ennis had said. "He introduced me to Kali and Jennifer Blake. They want me to spy on Stiles."

"That son of a bitch." Isaac leaned back in his seat, letting the information sink in. "Don't they have enough people feeding them information already?"

"That's what I asked them." Derek said. "They want me because I'm the closest to Stiles. And the most desperate, at least they think so."

"Oh, man." Isaac shook his head with a laugh. "They have no clue."

Derek shared a smile with him. Isaac wasn't even considering that he might have taken the deal.

Derek never had friends, not really, but now he had Stiles and Isaac. Erica had become a real friend and wasn't just somebody he was working with and he even counted Boyd as a friend.

That realization was kind of overwhelming.

"However." Derek cleared his throat. "Ennis said that they lost a good spy lately."

"And you think it's Harris." Isaac nodded along. "Makes sense."

"You think he's still alive?" Derek asked, every Hollywood cliche about shallow graves in the desert running through his mind. If he was honest, he wouldn't be surprised if Peter ended that way one day but he wasn't sure if that was something that actually happened in real life.

Derek knew Ennis and after meeting Kali and Jennifer, he wouldn't put it beyond them to murder somebody. How had Stiles put it? Vegas was a shark tank.

"I don't know." Isaac shook his head and reached for the door. "You're updating Stiles?"

"Sure." That would have been his first stop anyway. It's wasn't quite time for dinner yet and he was sure that Stiles had work waiting for him.

"Good, I'll see what Boyd can tell me about our friend Harris."

Derek rode the elevator up to the penthouse to change into a suit and then he went in search for Stiles. He found him in his office.

"You okay?" Stiles had his arms around him the second Derek closed the door. Derek buried his nose in the crook of Stiles' neck and just breathed in his scent.

"I had to batsignal Isaac so he could rescue me." He admitted after a moment. For some reason that was the first thing popping into his mind.

"He still has that thing?" Stiles asked but didn't laugh at him for using it. He just held on to him a little tighter.

They had a short briefing to get up to date with what the other one had been doing, Stiles was glad that their system was safe again, but when Derek asked what else was on the schedule for today, Stiles grinned at him.

"A date." He reached for his jacket.

"What?" That was not the answer Derek had expected. He could name at least ten things they should be doing right now and a date was not on that list.

"You said you want dates." Stiles put on the jacket and was ready to go. "I want dates. We're going to have dates."


	42. Chapter 42

**A/N** _Due to real life I have to skip next week's update. I'm aiming for 03.04. for the next chapter but don't nail me down on that._

* * *

Surprise dates weren't something Derek was fond of and that Stiles was dragging him along while they were both still wearing suits didn't give him hope that he'd like wherever they were heading.

"Relax." Stiles bumped his shoulder into his while they rode down the elevator. "We're just going to have dinner in a restaurant for a change and not getting it delivered to the penthouse."

They ended up in the same restaurant they had gone to with Scott and Derek relaxed. This was not too upscale and he really liked the food here.

"Aren't you worried what people might think?" Derek asked with a glance around. They were still in the casino and even if the people around didn't work directly with him, they probably knew him by sight and had heard the rumors.

"No." Was Stiles' short answer. Then he reached across the table to give Derek's hand a little squeeze. "Let them think whatever they want. I'm not ashamed of you. I want to have dinner with you from time to time. Just sneak out for an hour. Have you even tried the gym or spa? I bet not."

He hadn't but Stiles didn't give him time to answer anyway.

"We have all this right here, why not use it?"

"You want to take me to the spa?" Derek raised an amused eyebrow at him.

"Why not?" Stiles shot back. "So far we've spent all our free time, the little we have, in the penthouse. And that is great, I love spending time with you, but we should go out more. C'mon, we're in Vegas, when was the last time you've seen a show? We have all this in the house, we can just do something on a whim."

Derek thought about that. He had dealt with guests who were upset about not getting tickets or didn't like their seats but he hadn't seen a show himself in his life and it had never occurred to him that he could now. He had the money, even without the employee discount.

"Just not on Wednesdays." Stiles interrupted his train of thought. "If we leave the penthouse on a Wednesday, we have to get as far away from the Red as possible."

Derek remembered how Stiles had been ambushed the one time he had dared to set a foot out of the penthouse on a Wednesday but that had been when Derek had just arrived. Now they would both get ambushed.

Besides, they usually had other plans for Wednesday.

For a while the biggest decision Derek had to make was if he wanted the Spaghetti Carbonara again, they were delicious, or try something new.

They drank wine and they just talked. Not about work, shared childhood memories instead.

Stiles grew up with his father, a sheriff in a small town in California, but spent the summers with his mother at the Red.

"I had my first summer job in the laundry here and I waited tables to get me through college. When I was old enough, I worked as a barkeeper and sometimes as a croupier." He paused, thinking. "I think I've done every job in and around the Red at least once."

"Why did you have to work during college?" Derek asked. "Your mother had enough money."

Derek did admire that Stiles actually had an idea what it meant to work for his money and that he knew first hand about all the jobs around here but he didn't get why somebody would go through that if he didn't have to.

"Mom always said that she hasn't build up the Red for somebody else to run it into the ground." Stiles' vision became distant and for a moment he was lost in memories. "She knew that she was going to die and she made it clear in her will that I would take over the Red once I turned twenty-one but that I couldn't use the money for college and that I had to work in different places around the Red to keep it."

"Your mother was a wise woman." His mind wandered to his own mother. Laura had been young for an alpha but by the time of the fire she had been ready to take over, their mother had made sure of that.

"She was."

Derek pretended to not notice his misty eyes and when Stiles asked about growing up in a pack, Derek went with the change of topic almost desperately.

They finished their meal with an excellent espresso, rich and strong, and after that hitting the floor didn't look that bad any longer.

By now the people and the noises didn't bother Derek that much anymore and it was kind of fun to watch Stiles slip into his role of the playboy, who encouraged people to play, flirted here and there with men and women alike and was just having fun.

Later they ended up in Derek's bed and had the most vanilla sex ever. With Stiles lying under him, open and just ready for him, Derek moved against him with sweet thrusts, both just clinging to each other. It felt like making love.

In the aftermath, when they were both relaxed and sleepy, breathing the same air, Derek whispered the words.

"I love you."

The words filled the space between them, too big and scary but Derek didn't want to take them back. He felt Stiles' smile more than he saw it and then Stiles brought their lips together for a tender kiss.

They fell asleep curled up into each other and when Derek woke up with Stiles sprawled out diagonally over him, with his head hanging over the edge of the bed, he was happy.

He would have loved to just stay in bed with Stiles all day but there was work waiting for them.

Their first stop of the day was Boyd.

"Boyd, my man." Stiles greeted him and dropped in one of the chairs in front of Boyd's desk, one leg hanging over the arm rest.

Derek took the other chair and made a point of putting both feet on the floor.

"I was hoping you'd be a good influence on him." Boyd said to Derek, completely ignoring his boss.

"He is house-trained."

"You're both fired." Stiles informed them and draped his arm over the back of the chair for an even more leisured position. Just because, Derek guessed. It didn't look comfortable, though.

"Do you want to hear about Harris or are you just here to annoy me?" Body asked but was already doing something on his computer.

"Both, I can multitask." Stiles grinned at him but sat up straighter when Boyd gave him an unimpressed look.

"Adrian Harris, one of the pets the Executive Board insists on keeping around." Boyd started.

Derek knew there were a few of them around, answering to the Executive Board first and sometimes forgetting to answer to Stiles second. Andrew had been low enough in the food chain that he could get fired but hadn't been important enough to do so. Until he'd proven that he was a complete moron in front of Stiles, the head of security and everybody else in the room.

Harris and other higher-ups could only be fired with the approval of the Executive Board. When Stiles had taken over the Red, he couldn't get rid of them but he could assign them to other jobs. So the head of security had become a security guy among others. Some had quit on their own but there were still a few around. They didn't even try to hide the bribing, Harris was one of the people who got an unspecified bonus every month. But since Stiles knew about them, he didn't really try to get rid of them.

"They would just buy others and those we wouldn't know of." Was Stiles' stand on this.

In Harris' account Boyd had found emails from him to Ennis. Since Harris only had limited access to the sensitive areas of the Red, the information he passed along weren't really important and more often than not he told Ennis more rumors than actual facts.

"Since Derek appeared, it turned even more gossip." Boyd showed them a few of those emails. Derek had heard the rumors, of course he had. They had died down lately but he had no doubt that they would take up momentum once people noticed that he and Stiles were dating. Not that they would call it dating. That Stiles was parading him around? That Stockholm Syndrome had finally taken over? Derek didn't know and he didn't care. He and Stiles knew the truth and that was enough.

However, reading what Harris had written about him was something different. He felt his face heating up.

"I bet he's been jerking off to this." Stiles commented with clear disgust in his voice.

Other than that Boyd had found nothing that would explain Harris' sudden disappearance. He wasn't answering his phone and nobody had heard from him in a while. There was no suspicious movement in his bank account and no emails or phone calls out of the ordinary.

"That's all I have." Boyd finished his report.

"We could ask Ennis." Derek suggested.

"Let's leave that as our last resort." Stiles dismissed the idea.

Derek didn't feel like they had accomplished anything. It was their working theory that Harris had somehow become expandable and that he was on the run or already dead. Even if that was the case, it didn't get them answers. Only more questions.

"You think they would just kill somebody?" Derek asked, not sure how he felt about that. He'd never liked Ennis but he was kind of working with him. And there were the werewolves from Kali's pack who were working on the floor. The thought that one of them was a murderer …

 _You had no qualms living with Peter_ , a little voice in the back of his mind provided. Not that he had any proof that his alpha had killed Laura. Derek clung to Peter's explanation that it had been hunters. He had to believe it.

Stiles and Derek were back in Stiles' office when Stiles got a call that Detective Morgan was here to see him.

"What does she want now?" Stiles muttered to himself after he'd told whoever was at the other end of the line to send her up.

"Maybe they found the one behind the bomb threat." Derek mused, the last thing he'd heard about that was that they still had no suspect but he doubted that he would hear every detail on the news. He just hoped that she wasn't here because of him. But he doubted that, she might have her suspicions about his arrangement with Stiles but as long as he stood by his story, she couldn't prove anything.

"Mr. Stilinski." Detective Morgan shook hands first with Stiles, then with him. "Mr. Hale."

"Detective, what can I do for you?" Stiles offered her a seat.

"Do you know a Matt Daehler?" She asked, watching both their reactions closely. She was also watching how Stiles and he interacted, Derek had no doubt about that.

"No." Stiles shook his had after a second of thinking. "Should I?"

"Mr. Hale?" She addressed him directly without answering Stiles' question.

"No."

"We traced the email you got back to his phone." She explained. "Any idea why he would threaten the casino?"

"Since I've no idea who he is." Stiles spread his arms in a barely concealed flail. "No. As far as I know he threw a dart at a map of Vegas."

"What does he say?" Derek asked. If they got the guy why was she even here?

"That it wasn't him." She gave them a look. "He claims that somebody stole his phone."

They couldn't really help her, neither of them knew this Matt Daehler or could come up with a reason why he'd targeted the Red.

However, Stiles informed her that they were missing a staff member since around the day of the bomb threat.

Detective Morgan promised to look into it but since she had her suspect, Derek doubted that there would be much coming out of this. Harris hadn't shown up for work, that was all they could say for certain, they didn't even know if he was actually missing.

Once the Detective had left, they had to hurry to get to their next appointments. Their schedules had been packed even before her unexpected visit, now they were running behind. With luck Derek would see Stiles again for dinner but he doubted that they would have time for more than a quick sandwich.

"I'm so looking forward to tomorrow." Stiles groaned. Just to make a point his phone chirped with a new message. "Just you and me and lots of kinky sex."


	43. Chapter 43

When they finally came back to the penthouse in the wee hours of the night, they were both too tired to do more than just brush their teeth and drop dead into Stiles' bed.

Derek slept deep and dreamless and in the morning Stiles woke him with little kisses.

"You still want to do this?" Stiles asked him. He way lying half on top of him, his elbows braced left and right from his head and his face just inches above his.

Derek blinked at him for a confused second but then he remembered that it was Wednesday and that they had planned their first sexual scene for today.

Well, Stiles had planned it. All Derek knew was that there probably was sounding involved somewhere, Stiles had let him pick whatever he wanted for their first sexual session, but otherwise he had no clue what Stiles had planned for the day. Especially the bit he knew filled him with anxiety because he'd never done it before and today Stiles would stick something up his dick. That was kind of a terrifying thought. At least he knew that he could opt out if it turned out that he didn't like it.

"Yes." Derek craned his neck to nip at Stiles' bottom lip. They had done kinky sex outside of a scene and he was looking forward to finding out how Dom Stiles would handle this. However, the day was going to be intense, Derek had no doubt about that.

"Get ready but don't shower." Stiles gave him another kiss. "I'll get a bath going for you. I have a plastic cuff you can wear for the bath. As for the rest of the day, I want you to wear your cuff and nothing else. Color?"

"You want to bath me?" Derek was still stuck on that idea.

"Yep." Stiles let the word pop. "And I want you naked all day."

"Green." The thought of being naked while Stiles stayed clothed made heat pool in his stomach and his cock twitched with interest.

Derek hurried through his morning routine and before he put on the cheap plastic cuff that would substitute for his real one during the bath.

Then he just stood there in his bedroom and tried to calm his nerves. He hadn't been this nervous since their first Wednesday and back then he had at least worn pants. Now he was naked and there would be sex involved and he wasn't sure if anxiety or excitement dominated but it gave him a delicious butterfly feeling in his stomach.

Like promised there was a steamy bath waiting for him when he returned to Stiles' part of the suite. With bubbles. And Stiles had added something to the water that smelled nice but wasn't overwhelming.

"Come here." Stiles waved him over. "Tell me if it's too hot."

Derek tested the water with his toe. It was hot but on the pleasant side so he let Stiles guide him down until he was lying with his head just above the water line and his body floating under a thick layer of bubbles.

Stiles leaned over to kiss him, one hand firmly in his hair, massaging his scalp.

"Relax." Stiles told him and with a sigh Derek closed his eyes. He felt his muscles uncoil in the warmth of the water and he went limp under Stiles' hand.

Stiles let him be for a moment and Derek was close to drifting off to sleep again. He didn't even open his eyes when Stiles lifted his arm out of the water and started to wash him limb by limb.

Washing his legs ended with a finger slipping between his cheeks and Derek let his legs fall apart as wide as the tub allowed it to give Stiles better access.

Stiles played with his hole a moment longer, probing and teasing but he never breached the ring of muscles, before he cupped his balls and started rolling them in his palm.

By now Derek was hard, the tip of his cock breaking the surface with every move he made, giving him a delicious contrast between the hot water and the cooler bubble air.

Seeing his need for some friction, Stiles gave him a few strokes while his other hand gently squeezed his balls.

"Stiles." Derek breathed. He was getting close. "Please."

"No." Stiles let go of him and reached for the shampoo bottle. "You're going to come tonight with an iron rod down your dick and not before that. Understood?"

"Yes." Derek grit out and forced his body to relax again. This was going to be a long day.

Stiles took his time with washing his hair and by the time he had rinsed it, Derek's erection had calmed down to a half-hard state. He guessed that was the best he would get today but for now he was okay with the low-key arousal.

After the bath Stiles waited with a fluffy towel for him and once he had patted Derek dry, he reached for a bottle.

"This is wolfsbane oil." Stiles explained. "It works better for the whole body and it lasts longer than the lotion. Color?"

"Green." Derek dropped the towel. His still damp skin would soak in the oil and he doubted that he could wash it off as easily as the lotion. And the whole body? What had Stiles planned for today?

"You're doing good." Stiles said from behind while he worked the oil into the muscles of his neck. "I'm proud of you."

Derek let out a shuddering breath. He wasn't sure what effected him more, Stiles' words or the oil that he was working into his skin. The wolfbane lit up his nerves and every touch sent little sparks up his spine. And down to his cock.

Stiles followed the same pattern as before. Arms, back, chest and then his legs, leaving his private parts for last. Only this time Stiles didn't leave it with just teasing his hole.

Without any resistance an oily finger slipped into Derek.

"How does this feel?" Stiles whispered into his ear.

"Burns." Derek answered but didn't move away. Instead he leaned into Stiles, trusting him to hold his weight.

Stiles hummed to that and added a second finger, slowly fucking them in and out of Derek's hole.

Then he reached around for Derek's straining erection. At first he just made sure to coat his cock and balls thoroughly with the wolfsbane oil but it didn't take long for him to jack him in earnest. His fingertips hit Derek's prostate dead on with every thrust and his other hand was working his erection with obscene slurps of the oil.

"I'm gonna …" Helplessly Derek clawed at whatever part of Stiles he could reach. The oil was killing him, if it didn't burn off his dick it would make him come hard enough to knock him off his feet.

"Don't you dare." Stiles said with a wicked grin that Derek couldn't see but for sure hear in his voice.

"Please, I … I can't … please …" The orgasm was building up, a wave ready to break and once it did it would just sweep him away.

"You can." Stiles said firmly but didn't stop working him over. "Just a moment longer, you can."

Derek fought for holding on just that moment longer with claws and fangs, literally, and when Stiles finally showed mercy and let go of him, he dropped boneless to his knees. Frustrated sobs caught in his throat but he didn't reach for his erection which was screaming for just one little touch to tip him over.

"I knew you can do it." Stiles still stood behind him and his hands found their way into his damp hair.

Derek didn't dare to move. He was still so close, especially with the wolfsbane a breeze would tip him over, so he stayed as still as his trembling body allowed until he'd calmed down enough to not shoot his load by accident.

Stiles gave him the time he needed and just stood behind him so that Derek could lean against his legs. Stiles tugged and pulled at Derek's hair, scraping his nails over his scalp, and the little sparks of pain helped to ground him.

Once Derek had caught his breath, Stiles stepped around him. He was still wearing jeans and t-shirt but the jeans was torn from his claws, Derek guessed, and his shirt wasn't off any better. It had additional oil strains on it, though.

"I ruined your clothes." He admitted, eyes focused on his hands in his lap. At least he didn't smell blood so he probably hadn't hurt Stiles. "I'm sorry."

"I told you that I don't mind your wolfy side." Stiles cupped his face with one hand and Derek leaned into the touch. "And believe me, I've learned my lesson and don't wear my favorite stuff when I scene with a werewolf."

There was a story behind that but all Derek heard was the steady heart-beat, telling him that Stiles meant what he said. He didn't mind the claws and fangs.

"But since you're worried about that, you can make it up to me." Stiles said and palmed his erection through the denim. The bulge was just in front of Derek's nose, the intention obvious.

"Seriously?" Derek rolled his eyes. But Stiles was right, so far he hadn't gotten any attention while Derek had almost come twice already.

And focusing on Stiles' pleasure would make the whole not coming thing easier for a while. Derek had no doubt that Stiles meant it when he said that he would come tonight and not before that. And they didn't even have breakfast yet.

Stiles sat down on the edge of the bathtub with his legs spread in a clear invitation.

Derek shuffled closer and just ran his hands up and down the outside of Stiles' still jeans clad thighs before he let his thumbs follow the seam on the inside. This close the scent of Stiles' arousal was overwhelming even with the scented water still in the tub and the smell of wolfsbane clogging his nose.

There was a wet spot on the front of Stiles' jeans and Derek doubted that it was water. He brought his face closer and inhaled the rich scent of precome. Feeling bold he sealed his lips around the spot and probed it with with his tongue, getting it even wetter, before he gave it a good suck.

Derek could almost feel the blood pulsing in Stiles' erection.

"Shit, Derek." Stiles moaned and reached blindly for his fly.

Suddenly Stiles' moan turned into a shriek and a wave of hot water hit Derek in the face. When he opened his eyes again, Stiles was gone, there were only his legs still hanging over the rim of the tub.

For half a second Derek just stared at the spot where Stiles was supposed to be but when the flailing started and more water splashed on the floor, he couldn't help it, he doubled over with laughter.

The splashing and flailing went on for a moment longer, along with some colorful cuss words, but then Stiles managed to right himself.

"I'm drowning here and you're rolling on the floor laughing. Literally." He sounded miffed which wasn't really helping Derek with his fit.

Derek glanced up at him but when he saw him hanging over the edge like a drowned cat, the next wave of laughter burst out of him. He had tears is in his eyes and his stomach hurt but he couldn't stop laughing.

"Unbelievable." Stiles rolled over the edge and landed next to Derek with a wet splash, now shaking with laughter as well.

"Are you okay?" Derek asked when they were both lying there, chests heaving.

"Now you're asking?" Stiles threw him a glance. "I could have hit my head, I could have drowned."

"You didn't." Derek said but the last chuckles died down at that thought. Stiles could have hurt himself with that. And Derek hadn't even tried to help him.

"You still owe me a blowjob." Stiles changed the topic.

"Here?" Derek rolled to his side to face him. They were still lying on the bathroom floor, both soaking wet. At least Derek didn't have any clothes on. Stiles' jeans must weight a ton with all that water and his shirt was clinging to him. Contouring his lean body quite nicely, Derek noticed.

"Get me out of this and suck me." Stiles started to fight his way out of his jeans. "After this I deserve the best blowjob ever."


	44. Chapter 44

Stiles had demanded the best blow job ever, and Derek was more than willing to deliver, but he was kneeling stark naked on the tiled bathroom floor in a rapidly cooling puddle of water. Derek decided to play dirty.

Stiles was a sucker for his beard so after Derek had gotten him all wet and sloppy, he gave his shaft and balls some attention with his scruff. That never failed to reduce Stiles to a babbling mess within minutes and Derek had to hold his hips down to keep him still enough to do more than just letting him hump his face.

"Derek, c'mon."

Derek hummed to that and took the tip in his mouth. The musky taste of precome flooded his mouth and for the moment he just bobbed up and down Stiles' shaft to get the irritated skin wet again.

Then, holding the head just between his lips, Derek locked eyes with him. And shifted.

Stiles gasped and for a second neither of them moved. They just stared at each other, amber eyes locked to electric blue.

Derek opened up farther to not hurt Stiles and slowly sank down his fanged mouth on Stiles.

"Shit!"

Come hit the back of Derek's throat and he had to back off to not bite off Stiles' dick by accident. And Stiles was still shooting hot jets of come.

With a now human mouth again Derek suckled him through the aftershocks and then he just stretched out and rested his head on Stiles' hip. Like expected a lazy hand found it's way to his hair.

"You know, when I said best blowjob ever." Stiles said once he'd caught his breath. "I didn't expect this."

Derek kept his eyes on Stiles' now spent dick right in front of him, he was too afraid of what he might read in Stiles' face.

"Two things." Stiles' voice hardened but his fingers never stopped massaging Derek's scalp. "One, you've no idea how proud I am of you. Not long ago you thought that I would be disgusted by your werewolf side and now you're using it to make me come so hard."

Derek's chest swelled with pride but he couldn't shake off the lingering fear that the second thing Stiles had on mind would shatter that fragile confidence.

"But two", Stiles continued, "you've way too much of an attitude for a sub."

That was not what Derek had expected. He glanced upwards to find out what Stiles meant but the hand in his hair tightened, now pulling painfully. Stiles forced him to crane his neck into an uncomfortable angle.

"I'm sorry." Derek said because what else could he say. For a moment he had forgotten who was in charge here. Stiles' dive into the bathtub had broken the scene and had pulled Derek out of sub mode. And he hadn't really gotten back into the right mindset yet.

"I need fresh clothes." Stiles gave his hair another pull that made Derek's eyes water before he let go of him. "Put on your cuff, fix us breakfast and then wait at the table for me."

"Of course." Derek hurried to get to his feet and wouldn't even have bothered with drying off if Stiles hadn't handed him a towel.

Even after getting wet all over again, his skin was still oily and the wolfsbane heightened the sensation on his skin. And this was just fluffy towel. Derek swallowed thickly at the thought of what Stiles might have in mind for the rest of the day.

He took off the plastic cuff and when his cuff closed around his wrist, Derek felt the familiar shift in his mind. That felt better.

While they had been in the bathroom room service had served their breakfast. Derek poured them coffee and fixed their plates and then he sank to his knees on his pillow to wait for Stiles.

Of course Stiles took his time and with every minute the anticipation grew but Derek just closed his eyes and focused on breathing. He didn't lift his head when Stiles finally came out of his bedroom.

"Looks good." Stiles commented when he saw the set table. "Thank you."

It was embarrassing how much he was craving Stiles' approval but Derek couldn't help the smile forming on his lips. Which dropped rather quickly when a chain dangling from Stiles' finger appeared in his line of view. Clover clamps. They had played with those before and Derek knew that these nipple clamps had a good bite on their own but they tightened even more if somebody pulled at the chain connecting them.

Breakfast was going to be hell.

Stiles didn't waste time and put a clamp on Derek's right nipple. Expecting the pain Derek inhaled sharply and then waited for the second clamp. Which came a second later but not without an evil twist. Stiles had looped the chain around the leg of the table.

"Hands behind your back and move back a little." Stiles guided him backwards until the chain was pulled tight.

Satisfied with the position Stiles gave the chain a tug, sending a lance of pain through Derek's already stretched nipple.

"You will regret it if you drop the chain." Another tug. Derek bit back a groan but didn't try to lean forward to lessen the stretch. The smooth wood didn't offer any resistance for the chain, the chain would slip down the second it slackened just a tiny bit.

"Where's your attitude now?" Stiles tugged the chain again before he sat down.

Breakfast was hell.

Derek had to constantly lean back to keep the chain tight which also kept his nipples stretched while Stiles took his sweet time eating his breakfast and feeding Derek in between.

At least he played fair and offered Derek the bites within easy reach. He did, however, pluck the chain like a guitar string between bites.

The chain came close to slipping down the table's leg a few times but every time Derek caught himself and ignoring the pain he pulled it tight again. Stiles pretended to not notice but Derek caught his expression once or twice. He couldn't quite decipher it, he was too busy with not dropping the chain, but it made him want to be good for Stiles. He wanted to see that expression again. He wanted to deserve the way Stiles looked at him. So he grit his teeth and kept the chain tight.

By the time breakfast was over, Derek's attitude was gone. He was trembling and he couldn't hold back the little whimpers whenever Stiles touched the chain.

Suddenly the clamps were gone.

Which was worse. The blood rushed back into the abused flesh and when Stiles pinched his left nipple and rolled it between his thumb and forefinger, Derek cried out in pain. Instead of easing up Stiles went for the other nipple as well.

On instinct Derek hunched forward to protect his abused chest but Stiles didn't let go of him.

"You're going to be good now?" Stiles asked, digging his nails into his flesh.

"Yes." Derek cried out. "Yes, I'm good. I'm good!"

"We'll see." Stiles let go of him and Derek just dropped forward. "You didn't drop the chain, that's a start at least."

Derek didn't dare to ask what the punishment would have been but he doubted that Stiles would give him an answer anyway.

They hid in the playroom while the room service cleared the table and Stiles used the time to edge him once again. This time braced against the door with the extra challenge of staying quiet.

There were two people in the other room, Derek heard them talking right at the other side of the door, and he could only hope that their voices and the clatter of the dishes would be enough to cover up the moans he couldn't quite hold in.

Stiles was behind him again, three fingers buried in his ass and lazily stroking his shaft with his other hand.

By the time room service left Derek was a trembling mess but he hadn't come and nobody got suspicious, he called it a win.

After that Stiles gave him a much needed break and they watched a movie. Kneeling on his pillow between Stiles' legs Derek had time to calm down. However, Stiles pinched a nipple now and then just to keep him on his toes.

"Ride me." Stiles ordered when the credits started to roll. Derek didn't hesitate to climb into his lap. He was still loose from the fingering earlier and Stiles' cock slipped in easily.

"Ride me like you mean it." And Derek did.

Stiles came deep inside him and then Derek had to clean them both up and tuck Stiles back into his pants. Neither of them commented on Derek's angry red cock, leaking precome.

When Stiles had used the wolfsbane oil on his whole body, Derek had thought that Stiles had some heavy impact play in mind but over the day he found out that it had another effect as well. With the oil his skin was more sensitive, every touch sent shivers through him and lit up his nerves. Every little patch of skin was connected to his dick somehow. It was driving him nuts.

And of course was Stiles touching him. He made it look like a thoughtless thing but Derek knew better. That bastard was enjoying how easily he could drive Derek crazy with lazy fingertips on his back.

Derek lost count of how often Stiles edged him over the day. It felt like he was constantly on the edge, just shy to shooting a massive load that had been building up for hours. So by the time Stiles lead him to the bed in the playroom, Derek wasn't sure if he would be even able to come.

"Lay down." Stiles instructed with a gesture at the bed where leather cuffs were already waiting for him.

A minute later Derek was half sitting against the headboard so that he had a good view on his cock that was drooling in anticipation. Stiles secured his stretched out arms to the headboard and then spread his legs to fix his ankles and thighs to the side of the bed.

Then he stood back to admire his work.

Derek lowered his eyes, the only thing he could do to hide himself.

"Beautiful." Stiles breathed out in awe, making Derek blush even more.

Stiles' gaze lingered on him for a moment longer before Stiles reached for a leather case on the nightstand.

"Since this is going to be your first time." He explained and took out the sound on the far left. "We start small. "

There were at least ten in the case and Derek swallowed thickly at the sight of the growing sizes. The one on the right was big enough to count as a fucking dildo.

Then his eyes went to the one Stiles had picked. It was the smallest, yes, but knowing where it would go in a second, it still looked far too big.

"I'll go slow." Stiles assured him, stroking the inside of his trembling thigh. "If it's too much, just tell me. Okay?"

Derek nodded, he didn't really trust his voice right now.

Stiles got the lube and then he got in position between Derek's legs.

The metal felt cold against his heated flesh and Derek held his breath in anticipation but Stiles didn't just put the sound in. He just teased the head and went over the slit with the broad side without penetrating it.

"Breathe." Stiles said, dipping the tip in the slit. "Nice and slow, you're doing good."

Derek could only stare with wide eyes at the metal tip disappearing in his urethra. It hurt but mostly the feeling was just strange.

Stiles gently worked the rod in, drawing back and moving in just a little farther, and then it just slipped in until the bead at the end was nestled in the slit.

"How does it feel?" Stiles asked, his hand loosely around Derek's shaft to stabilize it.

"Strange." Derek licked his lips. "But good, really good." He'd never before been harder.

He wasn't sure what would be next but he didn't expect Stiles take him into his mouth.

Stiles traced the bead of the sound with his tongue and then he pulled it up an inch with his teeth. Gravity let it slip back down.

"Fuck!" Derek bucked into the heat of his mouth and Stiles just went with it, taking him deep. On the way back up Stiles sealed his lips around the shaft and sucked. Sucking the sound right out of his dick.

"Stiles!" Derek cried out. The whole bed was creaking from him straining against his cuffs. "Please, alpha, I …"

Stiles sucked again, fucking the sound in and out with under pressure and gravity alone, and that was it.

With another "Alpha!" Derek came.


	45. Chapter 45

Derek came. Hard.

He might have knocked his head at the headboard and his left thigh had more wiggle room than it had a minute before so he might have ripped off a D-ring as well but that and Stiles' hand on his dick, milking him through his orgasm, were just distant things, not important right now.

Important was the the iron rod down his dick and his spasms around it.

And he was still coming.

When he finally came down to trembling aftershocks, Stiles' hand tightened around him and with Derek's own come easing the way, he started to jack him again.

"I can't." Derek breathed out. "Please, stop. I can't, Alpha please." He wasn't sure how much of that came out as actual words but neither Stiles nor the sound still deep in him showed any mercy anyway.

Derek came a second time when Stiles finally pulled the sound out.

Barely conscious Derek was just hanging in his bounds while his whole body shook with sensory overload. He cried out when Stiles brushed his heated skin by accident, it was just too much.

"I got you." Stiles was close but not touching. "You did good. You did so good."

The words washed over him but Derek was too out of it to actually think. But he didn't have to, Stiles was there. With a sigh he just let himself drift.

Then suddenly there was another voice.

"Police, we're coming in!"

"What the fuck?" That was Stiles but Derek's mind was too muddy to bring the rest into context. Suddenly there were people in the room. There shouldn't be people in the room.

"Sir, step away from the bed." A female voice. There shouldn't be a female voice. Not during a scene. But there had been a woman during scenes. Once. But not now, now he was with Stiles. Or was he?

In rising panic he tried to move, to cover himself up but he couldn't. His arms stayed stretched out and he couldn't move his legs.

"You're interrupting a fucking scene!" Stiles yelled over other voices. "Get out!"

Derek blinked his eyes open.

The female voice belonged to Detective Morgan who for some reason stood in the middle of the playroom. She had an officer with her and Isaac was there too.

Stiles stood between them and the bed, shielding Derek from them as best as he could.

"Get away from him. Now." The detective ordered.

That went through to Derek. They wanted Stiles to leave?

"Don't go." He pleaded, not caring how pathetic he sounded or that he brought everybody's attention back to himself. Spread out and naked on the bed with drying come on his now shriveled dick. "Please Stiles, don't go."

"I'm not going anywhere." Stiles assured him. Ignoring the other people in the room he turned back to Derek and from somewhere he produced a blanket.

Once it was draped over him, Derek dared to relax. He'd been close to just break free but now he was willing to let Stiles open the cuffs for him.

"Mr. Hale." Detective Morgan started. She was looking directly at him, her eyes almost desperately trained at his face and not wandering at all.

The officer at her side, however, didn't even try to hide his leering glances all over the room before his eyes settled on Derek, openly taking in his legs and arms, still attached to the bed.

"Everything is going to be okay now. He won't hurt you any longer." She said but didn't interfere with Stiles working open the cuffs. Derek almost laughed.

"He's not hurting me." Derek said with more force behind his voice than he'd thought that he could master but even in his muddled mind he realized what she was implying. And that she could very well take Stiles away. "He did nothing I don't want."

"Let's give them a moment to get decent." Isaac spoke up. He ushered the others outside and to Derek's surprise they went without a fuss.

Over his shoulder Isaac mouthed "I'm sorry" at them.

"Un-fucking-believable." Stiles muttered while he worked the last cuff open. The one on Derek's wrist. He didn't know how he felt about that. He wasn't sure how to feel about the whole situation with the police waiting just outside the door either.

Despite that fact, Stiles took the time to clean him up and to feed him some orange juice.

"How do you feel?"

"I'm good." Derek answered and he did. His mind was clearer than a few minutes ago and aside from the burning shame when he thought about what these strangers had seen, he felt okay. Not great but okay.

"Can I step out for a moment?" Stiles asked him. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, still fully clothed, he had never bothered to undress, and he was holding Derek's hand. "Just to kick them out, I'll be right back."

It was clear that he didn't want to go, leaving a sub after a session was a big no-no Derek had learned, and Derek didn't want him to go but the detective wouldn't wait outside forever and the last thing he wanted was for her to come back in.

"Go." Derek said and withdrew his hand to make an impatient gesture.

"You stay in bed." Stiles ordered. "You came out too quickly, you might get dizzy if you try to get up too soon. And you call if you feel strange. I mean it, if something is wrong, you call me. I'll be right outside the door and I'll be back as quick as I can."

"I'll be fine." Derek assured him and reluctantly Stiles moved towards the door. He sprinted the last few steps as if that would save him time and then Derek was alone.

This reminded him of the time when Scott had burst into the playroom. But then they hadn't been in the middle of a scene and Derek had at least his pants in the room with him. Now he had nothing to wear but a blanket. Or some assless chaps, he was pretty sure he'd seen some of those around here somewhere.

Shivering he tucked the blanket tighter around himself.

The voices outside were muffled but when he strained his ears, he could make out the words without problems.

"What the fuck where you thinking?" That was Stiles.

"I couldn't stop them." Isaac answered. "And they didn't let me call ahead."

"What is so important that it can't wait until tomorrow?" Stiles talked over Isaac. "Do you have any idea what you just did?"

"Careful, Mr. Stilinski." A new voice spoke. It took Derek a second to remember the other officer. "We could arrest you for kidnapping and sexual assault right now."

"Derek is here on his own free will and he consented to what we just did." Stiles' voice went cold. "You heard him."

"I have a few questions I want to ask Mr. Hale." That was Detective Morgan.

"That has to wait until tomorrow." Stiles decided.

"Mr. Stilinski, after what I've just witnessed I need to make sure that Mr. Hale is in no danger." She didn't budge.

She sounded a bit like her, confident and with authority in her voice. Derek crawled deeper under the blanket. He didn't want her to come back. He didn't want her to see him like this. What was she thinking of him? Did she pity him or was she disgusted?

He liked to kneel at Stiles' feet, he got off on getting spanked. What kind of sick fuck was he? What was wrong with him? And she'd seen it. She and that officer and even Isaac. Now they all knew what kind of pervert he was.

Then something else bubbled to the surface, something worse. He'd called Stiles alpha. How sick was that? What was Stiles thinking of him now? That he'd fantasized of his alpha? That he wished that it was Peter doing this to him? That he wanted to have sex with his own uncle? How sick was that? What was wrong with him?

Derek wanted to throw up but he was only dry heaving. His breath came short and his mind was spinning. There was only the sound of his own blood rushing in his ears and gray spots were dancing in his vision, tunneling his sight until he was just falling into the gray.

"Shit." Suddenly a voice pierced through the swirling mess. "Derek? Can you hear me?"

On instinct he shied away from the voice and the hands that were suddenly on him.

"It's okay, I'm not touching you." The hands disappeared but the voice remained. Derek clung to it like a lifeline.

"You're good." The voice, Stiles it was Stiles, said. "You're better than good, you're perfect."

There was a pause and some jostling and then Stiles stretched out next to him. Still not touching but there.

"You dropped." Stiles explained. "No wonder with that bitch bursting in like that. But it's okay, I'm here now. Can I take your hand?"

Half of what Stiles said was just white noise to him but hearing his voice alone grounded him. However, he nodded to the hand question and even reached blindly for Stiles.

For a while Derek just clung to Stiles' hand and let the stream of words wash over him. It was a constant loop of how good he was, how proud Stiles was of him and how strong and brave Derek was to submit to him. How lucky Stiles was to have him like this. That he loved him. Variations of "I love you" over and over again.

At some point the shivers stopped and Derek could breathe again.

"Are you with me again?" Stiles asked.

Derek nodded and inched closer. Stiles awaited him with open arms.

"Are they gone?" He asked into Stiles' shirt.

"She wants to see you fist thing tomorrow." Stiles' hand found its way into Derek's hair and with a sigh Derek closed his eyes. "Isaac is calling Deaton, he's going to go with you."

"Who's Deaton?"

"You're lawyer, you won't say a word to Detective Morgan without him."

Derek was more than okay with that.

But that was hours away, he didn't want to think about it now. His mind was still swirling and he felt the remaining shadow of the drop lingering in the back of his head.

"You were worried because you called me alpha." Stiles broke the silence.

Derek went very still, preparing himself for the rejection that would follow now. What else had he said while he'd been out of it? Not that that wasn't bad enough already.

"I didn't mean it like that." He tried but didn't know where to go from there. Stiles wasn't a werewolf and he wasn't his alpha. That would be Peter.

"Do you know what a daddy kink is?" Stiles asked and his hand never stopped to massage his scalp. It didn't even falter.

"Kind of?" He had read about it but it wasn't something he was interested in so he hadn't dug deeper.

"Look it up, I think this is a variation of that."

"You don't think it's bad?" Derek had to stifle a yawn, suddenly he felt very sleepy.

"I'm not into daddy play." Stiles said and Derek could hear the grin forming on his lips. "But hell did I come when you called me alpha."

"You what?" Suddenly wide awake Derek craned his neck to look at him. He had to be joking.

"Can't you smell it on me?"

Derek took a deep breath and there it was.

"You faced the police with a mess in your pants?" Derek asked because he didn't want to think about what Stiles had just admitted to him.

"I had to protect you." Stiles said quietly.

They fell quiet for a while but then Stiles became restless.

"Is it okay if I slip out for a quick shower?" He asked and Derek knew he would stay right here at his side with his dick sticking to his underwear if Derek said no.

"Green."

Stiles laughed at that and gave him a kiss on the corner of his mouth.

"I'll make it a quick one." He promised. "And then I'm going to give you a full body massage, how does that sound?"

"Good."

Stiles showered in record time and was back before Derek had time to miss him. He didn't even bother with clothes and when he sat down on top of Derek, straddling his hips, Derek felt his dick at the cleft of his butt and what started as a massage ended with Stiles thrusting into him.

The last lingering bad thoughts and feelings of wrong melted away in a lazy orgasm and Derek fell asleep with Stiles on top of him, his softening dick still buried deep inside him.


	46. Chapter 46

When Derek woke up the next morning, the first thing he noticed was that he was alone in the bed but it took him a while to realize that this was neither his nor Stiles' bed.

Right, the playroom. The events of the night rushed back to him and for a second the shame was back. Detective Morgan had seen him like that. And he had to face her again this morning.

He would also have to face Isaac but that wouldn't be too bad. At least Isaac knew, in theory, and Derek hoped, that his friend wouldn't look different at him after this.

The other officer, however, Derek just hoped that he wouldn't run across him at the station. But chances were high that he wouldn't be working in the morning since he'd been on duty last night.

With all that on his mind it took him quite a while to wonder what the detective actually wanted from him. Was he a suspect again? With dread in his stomach he rolled out of bed and went in search for Stiles.

Which was another can of worms. He had called him alpha and even if Stiles had been okay with it, had even liked it, in the light of the day Derek wasn't so sure anymore. Stiles was neither a werewolf nor an alpha.

Besides, Derek had dropped last night, another thing he was embarrassed about, and he was pretty sure Stiles would have told him anything to get him out of that. Not that he had been in any condition to tell if Stiles had been lying to him. Not that he would have cared.

Either way, Stiles probably wanted to talk about it. Derek let out a sigh.

He found Stiles at the breakfast table, talking on the phone. At least they wouldn't be talking right now.

Stiles mouthed a "You okay?" at him and Derek gave him a reassuring smile before he went for his bathroom. Only when he turned to the toilet he noticed that he was still stark naked.

Peeing felt strange. It didn't hurt, every injury the sound might have caused had long healed, but he could still feel that something big had been up there. Savoring the feeling, he closed his eyes and reached for a nipple. Thanks to the oil it still felt tender.

For a moment he focused on the good parts of yesterday. It had been the first time they had added sex to their sessions and it had turned out better than Derek had dared to hope. Even the surprise police visit couldn't change that.

With a sigh Derek let go of his nipple and dick and turned towards the shower.

After his morning routine he dressed in a dark gray suit, Stiles liked to say that the color brought out his eyes, and then he went to join Stiles for breakfast. Not that he was hungry. Maybe after he'd seen Detective Morgan.

"That was Deaton on the phone." Stiles informed him while he poured him a coffee. The table was full as usual but Stiles didn't even try to offer him food. "He's going to meet you at the station."

Derek nodded to that and sipped his coffee.

"About last night." He started, eyes fixed on the dark liquid. "When I called you alpha …"

"I told you I liked it." Stiles interrupted him. "And no, I don't think that you'd rather fuck Peter."

"What?"

"You were quite talkative." Stiles shrugged and stuffed half a croissant in his mouth.

Shame burned in Derek's cheeks and he wasn't able to look at Stiles.

"Daddy doesn't work for me and I feel old when my sub calls me sir." Stiles continued as if this was a normal conversation. "But alpha. Man, that did it to me." He clicked his tongue.

The cup in Derek's hands was close to breaking in his iron grip.

"It's okay." Stiles said and closed his hands around Derek's. "It's okay."

Derek sucked in a shuddering breath. Maybe it was okay.

However, he didn't have much time to dwell on that, Detective Morgan was waiting.

"Isaac's driving you." Stiles told him when he was ready to leave. "And do what Deaton says, he knows what he's doing."

They shared a quick kiss and then Derek was on his way to meet Isaac at the car.

Isaac had seen him as well last night and Derek wasn't looking forward to facing him but he figured better now than later.

Isaac waited until they were on the road before he started to speak.

"Are you okay?"

"I am." Derek rubbed his mouth. "About last night …"

"Don't." Isaac cut him off. "That's between you and Stiles, I'm sorry, that we burst in like that. I tried to stop them but they wouldn't listen. I'm sorry."

"It wasn't your fault."

They kept silent for a while.

"But before that." Isaac licked his lips and the scent of anxiety came off him in waves. "Was it good?"

Derek threw him a glance, not sure what he meant. From anybody else a question like this would be inappropriate, Derek had heard his share of those over the last few months, but something in Isaac's tone was different. This was not about satisfying some kind of morbid curiosity.

It must have taken him too long to answer because Isaac started to stammer that he was sorry for asking.

"Shut up." Derek took a deep breath. "It was good. More than good."

Chewing his bottom lip Isaac focused on driving but the scent coming off him changed.

"Isaac?" It wasn't his place to ask but Isaac had seen him the most vulnerable last night and there was something between them, some kind of understanding. "Do you want that?"

"I don't know." The words were so low, they would have been lost on human ears.

"Stiles knows a lot about this stuff." Derek offered. _And he doesn't freak out even over some pretty unusual kinks_ , he added in his mind. "And he knows some people."

In the beginning Stiles had offered to introduce him to a dom and there still was that club that had come up occasionally. Which Derek might be interested in visiting some day with Stiles. Once he'd found the courage to bring it up.

They arrived at the station before the conversation could get even more awkward.

"That's Deaton." Isaac nodded to the man waiting on the sidewalk. "I'll wait here."

Derek got the hint and got out of the car.

The man coming towards him wore an expensive suit and an indifferent smile and Derek just knew that getting a straight answer out of him would be like pulling teeth. He guessed that was a sign of a good lawyer.

"Anything I should know before we go in there?" Deaton asked after he'd introduced himself.

"I'm not even sure why we're here." Derek muttered.

"Stiles gave me an overview of the situation, I can work with that." The fact alone that this man was calling Stiles by his nickname gave Derek a better feeling about the whole situation.

Inside they were shown into an interrogation room and assured that Detective Morgan would be with them shortly.

This wasn't Derek's first time in an interrogation room so he settled in for a wait. There were two people behind the one-way mirror, he heard their heart-beats, but they weren't talking so he couldn't tell if one of them was Detective Morgan. They were just watching. It was unnerving.

Next to him Deaton set up his place with a file, notebook and a pen. He didn't seem bothered by the wait in the slightest and once he was done, he folded his hands on the notebook and just waited.

Since they weren't doing anything interesting, one of the heart-beats started to move.

A second later Detective Morgan entered the room with a "Morning, gentlemen". With her came a whiff of werewolf which explained the other person still behind the mirror. It wouldn't hold in court but a werewolf was as good as a lie-detector. What worried Derek more was the fact that the werewolf most likely was part of Kali's pack.

"First of all, I want to say how sorry I am for what happened last night." Detective Morgan sounded sincere. "I hope you are okay?"

"I'm fine."

"I know what you said last night but Mr. Stilinski is not here." _And you're not tied to a bed_ , was the unspoken part. "Do you want to press charges?"

"No."

"I know about your situation." She continued as if they didn't have this conversation before. "Now you have witnesses. We can get him for human trafficking and sexual assault for a start. Just tell me and you don't have to see him ever again."

She completely ignored the part where his alpha would kick him out of the pack if he did that but she was human, Derek doubted that she understood pack dynamics or what it meant to become omega. Most werewolves would rather die.

"I have no reason to press charges against Mr. Stilinski." Derek said, eyes fixed on the spot where he guessed the other werewolf was standing behind the mirror. He would understand. And he would hear the truth behind his words.

"Detective Morgan." Deaton spoke up. "I take there was a reason you wanted to speak with my client before you interrupted a rather intimate moment between Mr. Hale and his partner?"

Detective Morgan glared at him.

"What can you tell me about the night the Red Riding Hood received the bomb threat, Mr. Hale?"

"I thought you have the guy?" Derek blurted out.

"The e-mail came from his phone but it has been sent from somewhere not too far from the casino." She nodded but then she added: "However, Mr. Daehler has been out of town that night."

Before Derek could say anything to that, Deaton took over: "Mr. Stilinski already provided the security files from the casino, proving that my client hasn't left the building that night and that the e-mail hasn't been sent via the Red's internet access."

She glared at him once again and he just smiled mildly back at her. Ignoring him, she directed her next question at Derek.

"Is it correct that you are Mr. Stilinski's personal assistant?"

"That is correct."

"And as that you have full access to every part of the building?" She was heading somewhere with these questions but he had no idea what that was.

"Yes."

"Is it also true, that you work closely with security, especially Mr. Lahey, the head of security?"

Derek glanced over to Deaton who gave him the go ahead with a tilt of his head.

"It's part of my job." Derek answered vaguely. "I also work closely with basically everybody else working there."

"Detective, what do you want?" Deaton asked bluntly.

"Mr. Hale knows the security around the casino, he knows the schedules and he knows where the cameras are." She leaned forward to look Derek in the eye. "And you're a werewolf. It would have been easy for you to sneak out without anybody noticing."

"And then what?" Derek didn't even wait for Deaton on this question. "I stole some random stranger's phone to send that e-mail?"

"I don't know?" She watched him closely. "Did you?"

"I'm sure you have evidence to support this rather wild theory." Deaton said still in that mild tone that made it hard to tell if he was sarcastic or not.

"You have a motive." Detective Morgen said. "And you had the opportunity."

"I think we're done here." Deaton started to gather his things. "And I suggest no more surprise visits." He stressed the word _surprise_. "Otherwise I will advice my clients to press charges against you."

For a second she looked guilty and Derek wondered if she had deliberately interrupted a scene to build up her case against Stiles. Everybody knew that they never left the penthouse on Wednesdays and that they were having kinky sex all day. Lately it was even true.

Detective Morgan didn't rise for the bait. Instead she said: "Mr. Hale, you failed to mention that you know Mr. Daehler."

"I what?"

"Care to elaborate?" Deaton asked.

"A background check on Mr. Daehler brought up the names of his associates, among them a Peter Hale." She leaned back in her chair but never let Derek out of her sight. Like a predator.

"That doesn't mean that my client knows him."

"C'mon, he's your alpha and your uncle, you live together." She made an impatient gesture. "You know the people around him."

"You don't have to say anything to that." Deaton cut him off when Derek opened his mouth.

"When I lived with him." He answered anyway. "I worked three jobs, I was only home to sleep. Sometimes I didn't see him in days. When he went out, he went out alone. I don't know who he was with."

"We're done here." Now Deaton stood and Derek followed his example. "Maybe you should talk to Peter Hale rather than to my client."

"I'd love to." Detective Morgan gave him a tight smile. "Any idea where to find him?"


	47. Chapter 47

Apparently Derek had been the last person who had seen Peter, along with Isaac but he managed to keep his name out of this.

And of course, Detective Morgan wanted to know every little detail about his visit. However, Derek barely got a word in, it was Deaton who answered most of her questions.

"Peter Hale is my client's alpha and uncle." Deaton stated when the reason for the visit came up. "I fail to see anything unusual in the fact that they see each other."

"Did you give him money?" The detective asked bluntly.

"Mr. Hale has a well paid job." Deaton answered for him. "And even before that he contributed to the pack's income and helped his family."

She had a lot of questions about Peter and his whereabouts but Derek couldn't have answered those even when he'd still lived with his uncle. Monday had been the first time he'd seen him in weeks.

In the end the detective let him go but reminded him to call her if he heard anything from Peter.

"Isn't it your job to find him?" Deaton asked when they were ready to leave.

"Who's paying your bill anyway?" She didn't raise to the bait and threw her own out instead.

"Have a nice day, detective." He turned to leave and Derek just followed him.

Outside the building, out of earshot of even the werewolves, they stopped.

"Who is paying your bill?" Derek asked. It hadn't come up so far. He had the money to pay the lawyer, no problem, but he had the suspicion that it was already taken care of.

"Don't worry, as an employee you're covered by the Red's legal department." Deaton assured him.

"That's quite a benefit."

"It covers everything work related." Deaton gave him a conspiratorial smile. "Murder someone and you'll have to pay me yourself."

This was quite a stretch, Derek guessed, the coverage was probably meant for guests suing because somebody ruined their shirt with red wine not for employees suspected of threatening their employer. But Derek didn't point that out. Instead he shook hands with Deaton and then they parted.

Back in the car Isaac immediately asked how it went but Derek had already his phone out. He needed to call Peter.

The phone rang and rang but nobody picked up. Up until now Derek hadn't been worried. Even when he'd lived with him, he hadn't seen Peter for days sometimes. Not that he had really cared where he was. Usually he'd seen his alpha when he'd been home to sleep or when he needed money.

"Peter's missing." Derek said when he ended the unanswered call. "He's not answering his phone either."

"What do you mean missing?"

"Nobody has seen him since Monday." Derek fiddled with the phone, thinking. Nobody the police knew of had seen Peter which didn't really mean anything.

"We saw him Monday, he was fine."

"Can we check the apartment?" Derek asked. They were both needed back at the casino, this had taken longer than expected already, but he needed to check.

"Of course."

Peter wasn't dead, that much Derek could tell. He would have notice if he'd become omega all of a sudden. For sure he'd noticed the last two times. Both times it had been only a matter of minutes before Laura and the second time Peter had taken over alpha status but those had been the worst few minutes Derek had ever lived through.

"Should I come with you?" Isaac asked when he parked the car in the familiar spot in front of the building. Derek didn't know what to expect in the apartment but he knew that he didn't want to face Peter alone. Or the empty apartment.

Without another word Isaac got the taser out of the glove compartment and then he followed Derek up the stairs.

Familiar smells and noises, just the same old crappy building, but the stairs seemed longer and more steep this time.

When they reached the apartment door, Derek half-expected it to be broken open but it was closed as well as the distorted wood allowed but that was nothing new.

The lock, however, was intact and his key fit in easily.

"I don't hear anybody inside." Derek said just to stall for a second longer.

The apartment was empty and pretty much like it had been when he'd been here on Monday. Peter hadn't bother to tidy up, there were Chinese take out containers on the table and through the open door he saw some clothes carelessly thrown on the unmade bed.

The tiny bathroom and Peter's bedroom didn't offer any answers and nothing looked disturbed. Peter just wasn't home.

"Call him again." Isaac said after a quick look around.

Derek doubted that Peter would pick up now but he dialed anyway.

Peter's phone started ringing in the bedroom.

"He left without his phone?" Isaac dug the phone out from under the covers. "Looks like he missed a few calls."

"Let's have a look at that back at the Red." Derek just wanted to leave. This was his place as well, he'd lived here for years, but after weeks his own scent had faded and it smelled more like Peter's than like something shared by the pack. Derek almost felt like he was invading an alpha's den.

Isaac must have sensed something in his tone or posture or whatever, Derek didn't care, but he caught on and just pocketed the phone and turned to leave.

Derek locked the door and only when they were back in the car he breathed easier.

"Let's go home." Isaac said. Derek couldn't agree more. This was not his home any longer. And he really wanted to see Stiles. It was only in the early afternoon but the day felt like it had been going on for way too long already.

Back at the Red Isaac handed him the phone and Derek wanted to check it out in the privacy of the penthouse but he didn't even make it there.

He had already missed two of his appointments and he was late for a meeting.

It was easy to let work swallow him whole. He didn't want to think. Not about Detective Morgan. Not about Peter.

Of course Stiles asked how his meeting with the detective went and Derek gave him a quick update but kept it to the bare minimum. His mind was still swirling and he needed to make sense out of this on his own first.

Stiles gave him a long, considering look but didn't push. Not that they had time for a private conversation anyway.

The rest of the day Derek didn't even have time to breathe. There had been a mix up with a large group of guests and it was Derek's job to sort that one out when he was already running behind his schedule. Stiles on the other hand had to cozy up to some rich old guy who would hopefully lose a few millions in the casino. On top of what he spent on his stay in the hotel alone. Derek wasn't sure if it was worth the trouble but he was some kind of big shot from Europe and the publicity alone made it worth it, he guessed.

However, that was Stiles' problem, Derek had more than enough to do with the group from Minnesota. That he didn't bite off a head or two counted as a miracle but when he joined Stiles for their usual round on the floor later that evening, Derek was ready to snap.

The noises of the casino ground on his nerves and the whole evening Derek just followed Stiles around with grit teeth and clenched fists, almost hoping for somebody to look at him wrong.

When they finally returned to the penthouse for the night, Derek tried to breathe easier but he was still wound tight. His body vibrated with tension and it was possible that he would have his first real fight with Stiles tonight. Probably over something stupid.

Pacing like a caged tiger Derek waited for Stiles to say something but when he spoke, it was nothing Derek had expected.

"Get naked, putt your cuff on and wait for me in the playroom." Stiles ordered. His words broke through the wall of anger that had been building up in Derek all day and for a second he stopped dead in his tracks, not sure if he'd heard right or not.

"What."

"You heard me." Stiles stepped closer with a hard look on his face. "You've been on edge all day."

That was true. And a little scene was probably the right thing to clear his head but he wasn't in the mood to just submit. He was more fight than flight and more than ready to lash out on Stiles.

Derek growled.

Suddenly a hand caught his jaw in an iron grip.

"I said." If Stiles had been an alpha, his eyes would be glowing red right now. "Get naked. Put your cuff on. Wait in the playroom."

Derek just glared at him.

Stiles tightened his grip and forced his head up in a painful angle, baring his throat. Derek swallowed thickly, his Adam's apple bobbing against the palm of Stiles' hand, but he didn't try to break free.

"Understood?"

"Yes, Alpha." The word came out naturally and after the day Derek had, he didn't care any longer.

Stiles' face didn't soften but there was a glint in his eye and a wave of arousal hit Derek's nose.

After another second Stiles let go of him and Derek hurried to do as he was told. Not a minute later he was kneeling naked in the middle of the playroom.

Wired as he was, he didn't have much patience but Stiles didn't let him wait for long. Stiles had changed from his suit to a pair of sweat pants, riding low on his slender hips, and nothing else. His bare feet barely made a whisper on the thick carpet.

A hand dropped on his head and Derek closed his eyes. Maybe he could relax enough for this.

"I want you on the cross." Stiles said. His voice hadn't lost all of the steel but the hand massaging Derek's scalp was gentle. "I want to work you over with the flogger until you can't even think."

Derek let out a moan and leaned even more into Stiles.

"Color?"

"Green."

Derek let Stiles guide him over to the cross where Stiles secured his wrists and ankles to the wooden structure.

"Relax." He stood close behind him, Derek felt the warmth of his naked chest just inches from his back. With strong hands he started to knead the tight muscles of Derek's neck and shoulders before he slowly worked his way down over his back down to his butt.

"Relax." Stiles repeated and Derek felt the tension melting out of him.

Then the soft tendrils of the flogger whispered over his back, making him shiver.

"I'm going to warm you up now." Stiles kissed the nape of his neck.

The first hits didn't hurt at all and Stiles just covered his back, butt and back of his thighs in even strokes, warming him up thoroughly. Then the blows started to overlap.

Stiles worked him over with rhythmic strokes until Derek's head was hanging in the V of the cross, whole body sagging and moans and little cries just falling out of his slack mouth.

Then Stiles switched to back-hand strokes. The first one hit Derek's over the meat of his butt, making him jump.

Stiles gave him a second to compose himself before he placed the next one square over his shoulders.

The blows came hard now and without mercy.

Time lost all meaning. Tears running freely and his throat raw from crying all Derek could do was to just take it. Pain and pleasure blurred together, consuming him, and his body went lax except for his cock. That filled even more with every impact.

Then Stiles changed the angle and hit him right between the legs. The tendrils of the flogger hit his balls and licked up his groin.

With a howl Derek came.

It totally blindsided him and left him half-conscious hanging from the cross, the cuffs on his wrists the only thing keeping him upright.

"Shh, you did good." The words sounded muffled and far away. "Can you walk?"

Somehow he ended up on his belly on the bed. Stiles coaxed some water into him and then Derek drifted off to sleep while Stiles was still working ointment into his abused skin.


	48. Chapter 48

When Derek woke up it was still early, the light coming through the windows still soft. At first he didn't care too move, his body still pliant and loose. His back didn't hurt, they hadn't used any wolfsbane this time so the ache in his muscles had nothing to do with welts but all with the expert use of the flogger Stiles had gifted him with yesterday. Up until Stiles had gone all alpha on him Derek hadn't even known what he needed, he had just been cranky and ready to snap, but as always Stiles knew exactly what he needed. And he had given it to him without expecting anything in return. He had made Derek come without even caring about his own pleasure.

Now guilt crept into the warmth of his body, forming a cold knot in the pit of his stomach. Stiles gave so freely and Derek just took, he always took.

Next to him Stiles was still asleep, sprawled out like usual, his leg thrown over Derek and his arm buried somewhere under Derek's head and the pillow. The leg was naked, Stiles must have taken off the sweatpants some time over the night, and it didn't take much investigating to find out that Stiles wasn't wearing anything else.

Stiles had liked surprise blow jobs in the morning before so Derek didn't waste time and ducked under the covers. Stiles smelled warm and sleepy, his soft cock nestled in the hollow of his hip. Derek licked his lips.

It took some jostling to get him in a position where Derek could actually do something but Stiles was like a rag doll and didn't even stir when Derek manhandled him into a position that wouldn't give Stiles back pain and a stiff neck for the rest of the day. For that alone he should be grateful.

Then Derek went to work. Stiles was still soft and Derek took him in his mouth with ease.

"Hmm?"

Derek ignored the not quite question and kept suckling at Stiles' cock. It was slowly filling.

"Derek?" More asleep than awake Stiles moved under him but Derek just held his hip down to stop him from squirming too much. "What ya d'ing?"

Derek rolled his eyes, not that Stiles could see that, and took him deep to show him exactly what he was doing down here.

Now that Stiles was awake things moved along a lot faster. Soon his cock was fully erect and Derek gave his shaft some attention with his scruff. That never failed to drive him crazy, this wouldn't take long at all.

But Stiles had other ideas.

"Can I fuck you?" Stiles asked, holding him back when Derek wrapped his lips around him again.

"Yes." That was even better.

Derek came with Stiles thrusting slowly into him and a lazy hand on his cock. He was first again but before he could ponder too much over that fact, Stiles picked up the pace and after a few hard thrusts, he came to a shuddering halt.

Then he collapsed on top of Derek, not caring about the come smeared on Derek's front or the come leaking out of Derek when he pulled out.

 _The maids have to actually make the bed in here more often than not lately_ , was the random thought in Derek's mind. It made him chuckle but then he wrapped his arms around Stiles, he could go back to sleep like this.

"Feeling better today?" Stiles asked into his chest, his breath ghosting over a nipple while he painted lazy patterns on his skin.

"Yeah, thank you."

"You needed it." Stiles snuggled closer.

"What about what you need?"

"Stop worrying, big boy." Stiles patted the pec he currently wasn't drooling on. "Having you on the cross like that? Having you in general? I'm a very lucky man."

Derek wasn't so sure about that but he was too tired to actually care.

Eventually the got out of bed and took separate showers and when they met for breakfast, Derek felt like himself again.

And now he had finally time to have a look at Peter's phone. There hadn't been any new calls or messages since yesterday.

"What you got?" Stiles asked, busy with his pancakes.

"The last two calls are from me." Derek scrolled through the list. "I think this is Detective Morgan." She had given him her card but he'd only glanced at the number. He would have to check to make sure. "And three more. No names."

"Check his contacts, does he have many?" Stiles had finished his pancakes and was now leaning over to catch a glance at the screen.

Peter had quite a list in his contacts, most of the names Derek didn't know. His own was there, of course, and a few others he recognized but most of them meant nothing to him. There was a Matt, though. If this was Matt Daehler, Peter knew him well enough to put him in his phone.

"So, whoever called him is not somebody Peter has regular contact with." Stiles summed up and reached for a croissant.

"I could just call back and see who answers." Derek suggested but he wasn't sure if he wanted to do that. He didn't know what was going on here and he didn't want to make things worse.

"Or you could give the numbers to Boyd and let him find out who they belong to." Stiles said with a smug grin around too much pastry in his mouth.

"Or I could do that." Decision made, Derek put the phone in his pocket.

It was Friday and it would be a busy day once everybody was officially in the mood for the weekend but this early in the day, things were still kind of slow. So Derek dropped by Boyd's office first thing. He found the other man already busy at his computer, a cold cup of coffee forgotten next to him.

"You work too much." Derek greeted him.

"Takes one to know one." Boyd answered without missing a beat or even lifting his head. "Anything you want?"

Right to the point but that was Boyd, Derek had stopped bothering about that a long time ago.

"My uncle is missing." That got him Boyd's attention. Derek dropped in the chair in front of the desk and got out the phone.

"What do you mean missing?"

Derek gave him a recap of his meeting with Detective Morgan and his following visit at the apartment.

"It's probably nothing." He let out a sigh. "Most likely he's on a gambling trip with the money I gave him the other day." That was the most likeliest explanation and Peter must have a run if the money last him that long, but Derek couldn't shake off the feeling that something was wrong. Why would Peter leave his phone behind? Had he just forgotten it? It was possible.

"But in case it is something." Derek didn't even want to think about what kind of trouble his uncle might have gotten himself into. "I don' want to tick off the wrong people."

"Understandable." Boyd nodded and waited.

"He got some calls but I don't know who they're from. Nobody from his contacts, that's for sure." He put the phone on the desk and gave it a little push to let it slide over to Boyd.

"I'll see what I can do." Boyd took the phone.

"Thanks."

With that taken care of Derek left and went back to work. There was nothing else he could do. Besides, chances were high that Peter would be there when Derek came over on Monday to give him more money. If he didn't show up then, then Derek would start to worry for real.

The morning went by rather quickly. For lunch Derek fetched them some sandwiches and coffee, on his own Stiles would forget to eat, and then he joined Stiles in his office.

"You're a lifesaver." Stiles greeted him, already making grabby hands for the cup of coffee. "This paperwork is killing me."

Derek handed him the coffee and a sandwich and then they settled in for lunch.

"Any idea why Isaac's avoiding me?" Stiles asked between sips of coffee. "If this is because he interrupted a session …" He made a gesture with his sandwich between Derek and himself. "That was totally the cops' fault. He did his best to get rid of them."

Derek had a pretty good idea what this was about, he was just not sure if he should tell Stiles. It was none of his business.

"Did he say something to you?" Stiles eyed him suspiciously. He was way too good at reading him.

"Things were a little awkward after that." Derek admitted.

"But you and Isaac are good?"

"We are." Derek hurried to say before Stiles could form a battle plan to fix their friendship. "He was more … curious than anything else."

"Curious?"

Derek cringed. He shouldn't even have this conversation with Stiles.

"He might want to know a few things but doesn't know how to ask you?" Derek tried.

"Oh?" Stiles made, confused. But then the light bulb lit up. "Oh!"

"Yeah." His sandwich was suddenly very interesting.

"He's never before been … curious." Stiles rolled the cup between his hands. Derek tried really hard to not stare at those long digits wrapped around the paper cup. "Is it because he saw us?"

Why were they even talking about this? Heat crept into his cheeks and not the good kind.

"I showed him some of the links you gave me." Derek said. Had that been only a few days ago?

"That's a good start." Stiles nodded to himself and Derek kind of felt sorry for Isaac. There were some awkward conversations with Stiles waiting for him in the near future.

But then Stiles dropped the topic and started to rant about the European billionaire he would have to pamper all evening and Derek breathed easier.

After dinner they were stuck in the office for a few more hours of paperwork, not Derek's favorite part of the job but at least he didn't have to interact with people. It was just him and Stiles and even if it was way more professional than anybody would have guessed, he enjoyed the time they spent together.

"You know." Stiles broke the silence and when Derek looked up, he found hungry eyes on him. "One day I have to tie you into a nice harness, tight ropes all around your body, and then I'll put you back into a suit. And then we do some office role play."

So much for being professional. Derek bit back a groan and tried to adjust himself in his pants as discreetly as possible. Not that he could fool Stiles, or even really wanted to.

Stiles just smirked at him, eyes a little dreamy as if he was picturing it in his mind.

"We could do some stuff here." Derek had some fantasies about crawling under Stiles' desk and blowing him with the risk of getting caught. "It's not as if everybody in the house isn't already assuming that you're bending me over your desk on a regular base."

The rumors had their ups and downs but they never quite stopped. And they got a weekly boost when the maids were allowed to clean the penthouse.

"Is that something you want?" The dreamy expression had left Stiles' face and he was now studying Derek closely.

"Maybe not with the risk of actually getting caught." Derek licked his lips, that was a fantasy he didn't really want to act out. "But with what you said earlier?"

"So we're both interested in office play, good to know." Stiles gave him a dirty grin before he turned his attention back to the screen in front of him as if nothing outof the ordinary had happened.

"I hate you." Frustrated Derek adjusted his boner once again and went back to work as well.

Later they parted ways, Stiles had a meeting and Derek had just gotten a message from Boyd to come see him if he had time. Curious he made time.

"So." Boyd greeted him. "Two of the numbers are prepaid phones, no names associated with them. And they're dead now by the way, nobody's answering."

"You called them?" That he could have done himself. "What would you have said if somebody answered?"

"Sorry, wrong number?" Boyd gave him a look. "The third one, however, I'm surprised you didn't recognize it yourself. That's Ennis' number."

"Ennis?" That was the last name he'd expected. "I didn't even know they know each other."

"Maybe you should ask him?" Boyd suggested.

"Maybe I should." Derek muttered. He and Stiles had a meeting with the Executive Board later today, maybe he could catch Ennis after that.

"Thanks." Derek remembered to say on his way out.

"That's what friends are for."


	49. Chapter 49

**A/N** _It's possible that you've missed the last update, this site had some issues again and didn't send out notifications. Please check the last chapter if you're not sure._

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Derek hated the meetings with the Executive Board. They mostly ignored him, only listening to his reports because they had to, not leaving out a chance to remind him that he was just a glorified whore, and everything beyond that was directed at Stiles. Whom they treated like a child. And they never failed to question his decisions.

It didn't matter that the Red was making more and more profit every year since Stiles had taken over, there was always the underlying message that he should just step back and let the adults handle this.

It was tiring and insulting and Derek just hated it. And Ennis was the worst. Since he was part of Kali's pack who's girlfriend was the one the Executive Board would love to sell the Red to, his voice was louder than the others.

The hour leading up to the meeting Derek was pondering his options but in the end he decided to just outright ask the other werewolf what his business with his uncle was.

It was possible that Peter had debts at the Alpha Pack and that Ennis was just collecting. However, they usually had goons for that kind of work.

Maybe Ennis wanted something else from Peter.

They had tried to bribe Derek into spying on Stiles before and if his alpha ordered him to do so, Derek wouldn't have choice. He just hoped that with the money Derek had given Peter, he didn't need to find other ways to pay his debts.

With mixed feelings Derek followed Stiles to the conference room. He would sit through the meeting and would corner Ennis afterwards. That was the plan at least. However, what Derek was not prepared for was that Ennis' chair stayed empty during the meeting. Apparently he was needed elsewhere. Something Derek would be happy about every other day but today it was just frustrating.

He bit back a growl and didn't even try to look like he was paying attention. He just wanted to get out of here.

The worst thing was that he didn't even know if something was wrong. Peter might just be off to do whatever it was he was doing when he wasn't home. Most likely gambling in one of the few casinos he wasn't banned from already.

"You said, this is not unusual for Peter." Stiles picked up on his thoughts. They were back at the penthouse for dinner and to get ready for the evening on the floor. "Let's just wait till Monday and then see from there."

Derek didn't like it but there was not much else he could do. At least the weekends were busy at the Red so he wouldn't have much time to overthink things.

"And after you met Peter and yelled at him for disappearing on you like this." Stiles continued. "How about going out?"

"Another Monday date?" Derek asked. "You have something in mind?"

"Actually, I do." Stiles said in a way that made Derek perk up. "There's this club I'd like to take you to. It's a BDSM club?" The last words came out in a rush and he hurried to add: "If you want, we don't have to, it's just an idea. A general idea. Of you and me going to a club."

"What exactly would we do at that club?" Derek was comfortable with what they were doing but bringing that out to the public? However, if Stiles was talking about the club he was thinking he was was talking about, Derek was very much interested in visiting it. He had thought about it before but there had never been the right moment to bring it up.

"Clubbing?" Stiles sounded unsure of himself and that on itself was a strange thing. "You know, that's what people do at clubs, clubbing."

"Stiles?" Derek suppressed a sigh. "Shut up."

To his surprise Stiles did just that and then he sat there, fiddling with his napkin.

"What exactly makes this club a BDSM club?" He couldn't believe that he was actually asking this. But a part of him was curious, had been for a while. He didn't even know the name of the club so he hadn't been able to research it himself and he had never mastered the courage to ask about it. Isaac and Boyd and half the staff of the Red seemed to know about it but it was always referred to as The Club in hushed voices.

The hopeful look Stiles gave him already settled the decision. Stiles had given him everything he had ever asked for and so much more, if Stiles wanted to go to that club, Derek would go with him.

"It's a club." Stiles started. "But more open minded? You'll see more leather and latex than in other clubs but you don't have to dress up like that."

That didn't sound too bad.

"There are open rooms where people can scene in front of an audience and private rooms for private stuff." He continued. Derek almost felt sorry for the napkin in Stiles' hands. If it had been a paper one, it would have been torn to shreds by now but since it was a cloth one, it just got strangled.

"Do you want to do that?" Derek asked and gently laid a hand on Stiles' hand cramped around the abused napkin. "Public, I mean?" Exhibitionism was not on his kink list but if Stiles wanted to …

"No." Stiles vehemently shook his head and Derek tried to hide his breath of relief but of course Stiles caught it. He gave him an assuring smile. "I just want to go out with you, have a few drinks and maybe watch some people doing kinky stuff." Stiles let go of the napkin and turned his hand to intertwine their fingers.

"Are the drinks mandatory?" Derek raised an eyebrow at him. If Stiles had a few drinks, there wouldn't be kinky sex later. Most likely no sex at all, Stiles was very strict when it came to intoxication and fooling around.

"Not really?" Stiles gave him a knowing smile and then leaned over for a kiss.

Suddenly the evening on the floor didn't look that bad any longer. Derek still would rather drag Stiles to the nearest bed or just go to his knees right here but they were already running late. Isaac was probably waiting for them for a security briefing before they were allowed to mingle with their guests. Since the bomb threat their head of security had become a little paranoid. He still didn't let Stiles out of the Red without a bodyguard, preferably himself.

Isaac didn't let the fact that he was avoiding Stiles for private matters effect his job, he just kept his interaction with Stiles as short and professional as possible.

Stiles didn't push it, for which Derek was grateful because Isaac didn't need to know that he had spoken to Stiles about him, and then the crowd swallowed them whole anyway.

The weekend always was the busiest time at the Red so when they returned to the penthouse at half past four in the morning, they just dropped dead into Stiles' bed.

The next day it was Derek's bed at three but they were too tired to do more than cuddle up and go to sleep with only a quick good night kiss.

Sunday went by in a blur as well and Derek was so busy that he didn't even worry about Peter. But when Monday rolled around, the dread was back. What would he do if Peter wasn't there?

Once again Isaac drove him and he gave Derek the emergency button right when they met at the car.

"Just in case." Isaac said and tapped his phone to set up the silent alarm the button would trigger.

Neither of them wondered aloud if Peter would be even there.

Peter was there.

Derek felt the proximity to his alpha the second he stepped into the building. Relief washed over him and he felt the tension melting out of his body.

Like before Isaac waited just outside the door and Derek hesitated for only a second before he entered the apartment.

He found Peter sitting nonchalantly on the couch, seemingly engrossed in a book. He didn't even look up when Derek came in.

"Where have you been?" Derek stopped in the middle of the room and crossed his arms over his chest. Standing he had the advantage of looking down on Peter who closed his book and put it aside with measured movements.

"Since when are you interested in my whereabouts?" He leaned back on the couch, arms spread out over the backrest.

"Since the police is looking for you."

"Are they now?" If he was surprised or just amused by this Derek couldn't tell.

There was so much Derek wanted to ask, he didn't even know where to start. And if he wanted to hear the answers.

"Do you know Matt Daehler?" That was as good of a starting point as any other thing he could ask.

"We've met." Peter's heart-beat stayed steady and he remained in his open position, not in the slightest intimidated by the situation.

"Did you steal his phone and sent the bomb threat to the Red?" It was the scenario Detective Morgan had come up with and Derek just threw it at Peter on a whim.

"Why would I do something like that?" A smile was tugging at his lips, the bastard was enjoying this.

"You tell me."

"I seem to have misplaced my phone, you haven't seen it, have you?" Peter changed the topic. It was a trap. After weeks of absence Derek's scent had faded but his visit just a few days ago must have refreshed it. Along with Isaac's. Peter knew that they had been here.

"Found it when I was looking for you." Derek put the device in question on the coffee table, eyes locked with his uncle's. "You missed a call from Ennis."

Peter didn't comment on that and simply reached for his phone.

"What does he want from you?" Derek straightened up and crossed his arms over his chest again.

"You have a lot of questions today." Peter's voice turned cold.

"And as usual you don't have any answers." Derek let out a frustrated huff.

Peter moved.

Derek had only time to register a flash of red eyes before he felt rough hands on him and then he crashed into the nearest wall. The impact knocked the wind out of him and he went down like a rag doll.

"I'm your alpha." Peter sauntered over to him, his voice hard as steel. "And if you want it to stay that way you should stop asking stupid questions."

Derek growled at him and he felt his eyes flash but Peter growled back and Derek lowered his gaze in submission. The raw animalistic part of his nature trembled in fear at the disapproval of his alpha and he fought the urge to bare his throat to Peter.

Peter snarled and they both knew it was only a matter of seconds before Derek's resistance would crumble under his alpha's eyes.

Suddenly the door burst open and Isaac stormed in. Wrapped up in their power play, they had both forgotten about the human waiting just outside the door.

Before he could react, Isaac was on Peter and rammed his taser into his side. Peter went down like a log, his whole body spasming with the electric shocks.

Isaac only spared a second to make sure that Peter was down for the count before he stepped around him to get to Derek.

"You okay?" He asked, holding out a hand to help him up.

Derek nodded, not sure what had just happened, but he let Isaac pull him to his feet. There was still the turmoil of emotions clogging his mind and a part of him just wanted to beg his alpha for forgiveness while the bigger part of him wanted to kick Peter while he was still on the floor. He did nether and for a second he just stood there without a clue what to do next.

"Time to leave, then." Isaac decided. Before Derek could react, he slipped is hand into Derek's jacket and came back out with the envelope of money Derek had kept in the inner pocket.

"Here's your money." The envelope landed on Peter's still heaving chest. He glared up at them but didn't make an attempt to get up just yet. "Derek will be back next week, make sure to be here."

With that Isaac escorted Derek out of the apartment.


	50. Chapter 50

"Why did you do that?" Derek wasn't exactly sure how he'd made the way out of the apartment into the car but he was sitting in the passenger seat now with the building getting smaller in the rear view mirror.

"What?" Isaac threw him a glance but kept his eyes mostly on the traffic. "Fry his ass?"

Derek nodded. That didn't even begin to cover his question but it was a start.

Isaac considered it for a moment before he spoke.

"I'm not a werewolf and I know shit about pack dynamics." He admitted and his grip on the steering wheel tightened. "But what he did there was just wrong. You're his beta, he should care about you, protect you. Not using his status to threaten you."

He fell quiet and Derek didn't know what to say either. It wasn't how an alpha should lead his pack, neither his mother nor Laura would have ever abused their alpha status like this, but it was all Derek had.

In theory he could leave Peter's pack and join another but he didn't want to become part of Kali's pack, even if she were willing to take him in, and he doubted that one of the other alphas in Vegas wanted to get on her bad side by offering him a place in their pack. They were tolerated at best and Kali could wipe them out any time.

Which meant Peter or becoming omega.

"You shouldn't have done it." Derek finally said. "Peter's dangerous, it's not worth it." His mind wandered to Laura and how she conveniently had gotten killed by _hunters_ when she refused to pay for Peter's addiction.

"It is." Isaac said firmly but didn't add the _You are worth it_ clearly hanging between them. It made Derek's throat tighten nevertheless.

By the time they got back to the Red both of them were already running behind their schedule.

Derek had missed a meeting but the only thing he was late to now was paper work in Stiles' office so it wasn't that bad for him but Isaac's phone had been running wild for the last half an hour or so and he was already talking on the phone to someone from security before he had even left the car.

Derek gave him a wave and a smile before he turned the other direction.

On his way to Stiles' office, everything rushed back to Derek and his whole body shook with shame and anger. He didn't even greet Stiles when he entered the room, he just slumped down in a chair, trying to will his hands to stop shaking.

"Was he there?" Stiles was next to him a second later and his hand found its way to the nape of Derek's neck. He must feel the muscles under his hand tremble but he didn't comment on it and just gently started to massage the tension away.

Derek let out a shaky breath.

"He was." Derek answered, not ready to say more just yet.

Stiles hummed to that and set down on the arm of the chair, his hand never leaving Derek's neck.

"Isaac tasered him." An almost hysterical chuckle bubbled up in his chest but Derek bit it back. This was not funny.

"He what?"

"I asked him about Matt and Ennis." Derek closed his eyes, torn between the need to tell someone, to tell Stiles, and to keep his problems to himself. "He didn't like it."

"Did he hurt you?"

"Isaac tasered him before he could do anything." Which was probably a lie, Derek wasn't sure. Peter hadn't really hurt him, just smashed him into a wall. His words, his showing of dominance, that was what had hurt, but that hardly counted.

As if Stiles knew what he wasn't able to say, he closed his arms around him and hugged him close. Derek let his head rest at Stiles' chest, his heart-beat comforting in his ear, and just let go for a moment.

"We can stay in tonight." Stiles said out of nowhere.

Right, they had planned to go to the club tonight. Derek had totally forgotten about that.

"We can go." He said. A little distraction was probably just what he needed. "But …" He licked his lips, not sure how to put in words what was going on in his head. He wasn't even sure if he knew what he wanted.

Stiles just held him close, his hand back on his neck, and waited patiently for him to continue.

"This club." Derek cleared his throat. "You said, I'd see more leather and latex than in other clubs."

"That's true." Stiles said and Derek could feel how he weighted his next words carefully. "People come there in character, if that's what you mean."

That answered that question.

"You can wear your cuff if you want." Stiles let the end of the sentence trail off but the offer was clear. They could go as Derek and Stiles or they could go as dom and sub and it was totally up to Derek which one it would be. He was leaning towards the latter, he didn't want to think today.

"I'm not sure if that's enough." Derek said, his voice hoarse. "I mean …"

He rubbed his cheek against Stiles' chest, inhaling his scent. Slowly the tremors died down and he let out a long breath, leaning more heavily against Stiles.

"Don't people expect collars?" That was the common sign of ownership. The cuff worked for them but he doubted that an outsider would get the meaning behind it. It didn't matter as long as they stayed in the penthouse but for some reason it was important now.

"I'm not going to put a collar on you." Stiles said firmly.

"I could …" Derek started but was cut off by Stiles.

"You nearly ripped my throat out at the mere thought of collars." He reminded him. "I know how much you hate them, we're not going to do that."

Derek breathed in relief but that didn't solve his problem.

The fell silent for a moment but silence never sat right with Stiles so he was the one to speak first.

"Derek, what do you need?"

If they went out today he needed something to ground him, something to remind him that he was Stiles'. He just didn't know what that would be. Derek opened his mouth to tell Stiles just that when something popped into his mind.

"Derek?"

"The other day." He was just glad that he didn't have to look Stiles in the eye for this. "When we talked about office play … you said that you want to put me in a rope harness under my suit."

"Yeah?" His voice was guarded but there was a spike in his heart-beat.

"Would that work under normal clothes as well?"

"You are going to be the death of me." Stiles groaned, the scent of his arousal clogging Derek's nose. He tried to adjust himself without falling off the armrest or letting go of Derek which was awkward at best.

Derek was tempted to help him with that, make him come in his pants or even go on his knees for him but they were in Stiles' office and somebody could come in any second. So he just placed a hand on Stiles' thigh, thumb caressing the inner side just inches from the tented front of his pants.

Stiles let out a moan and brought their lips together for a heated kiss.

They didn't do more than that but by the time they parted and went back to work, flushed and semi-hard in their pants, Derek had learned that ropes did work under normal clothes as well and that things like that weren't uncommon in the club.

It was hard to focus on his work. Derek's mind was still swirling from his earlier encounter with Peter, and he really hoped that it wouldn't backfire on Isaac, and his date with Stiles. It would be Derek's first visit to a BDSM club and instead of testing the waters he had decided to dive in head first. He wasn't sure if this was a good idea but part of him was looking forward to it.

Somehow Derek managed to get through the day but he was glad when he finally could retreat to the suite where Stiles joined him for dinner. For some reason Derek wasn't really hungry, though.

"We don't have to do this." Stiles said once again. They were in the playroom where Stiles was sorting through his ropes.

Instead of an answer Derek started to unbutton his shirt. Jeans and Henley were lying on the bed, Stiles had picked them out for him to wear over the rope. Both items had a tight fit and here was no underwear. Derek knew that he would feel the ropes even more under them. And there would be no way to hide Stiles' handiwork under the fabric clinging to his body.

A clear sign of ownership, just what Derek wanted.

Decision made he shed his clothes quickly and then he knelt naked in the middle of the playroom, waiting for Stiles to finally pick a rope and get to work.

It took over half an hour for Stiles to tie him in and Derek just patiently lifted an arm here and bent a little there whenever Stiles requested it. Rope tightened around his torso, Stiles' skilled fingers whispered over his flesh and Derek didn't even try to hide his growing erection. He closed his eyes and just enjoyed the treatment.

"That should be it." Stiles said and Derek opened his eyes to have a look. Rows of complicated knots ran down his front, sides and back, holding together the criss-cross of ropes over his torso and hips. The dark red rope stood in stark contrast to his pale skin. Some lines were running through his groin, framing is erection without actually doing something for it.

He could move just fine but every breath, every little movement emphasized the tightness around his body, reminding him of the ropes. And of who had put them there.

"Beautiful." Stiles breathed in awe when he stepped back to admire his work.

"Could you …" Heat crept into his cheeks. "Could you take a picture?"

"You …" Stiles started but then he shook his head and just got his phone out.

He took several pictures. First of Derek just kneeling like he was but then Stiles instructed him to bend backwards until he had to brace himself on his hands. The position was not the most comfortable but it should bring out his hard cock and lines of rope around the arch of his body quite nicely.

"Stay like this." Stiles said, voice heavy with lust. Pictures forgotten for the moment he crawled between Derek's spread legs and when he took him deep, Derek struggled to stay in position.

Stiles took a picture of him on the floor spent and covered in both their come as well.

Once they had composed themselves, they got dressed.

The lines of rope were clearly visible under the tight shirt and under the jeans as well, the fabric adding a delicious layer of restriction.

"You sure you want to do this?" Stiles asked one last time.

"Green." Derek held his arm out for Stiles to fasten the cuff around his wrist and Stiles didn't hesitate to do just that.

They rode the elevator down to the garage, Stiles would drive them, but when the doors opened, Derek spotted somebody waiting at the car.

"What's Isaac doing here?" Stiles asked, equally surprised.

Derek was just glad that he had put his leather jacket on for the ride, that at least covered most of the ropes. He still fiddled with the zipper, unsure if he should close the jacket or if that would just draw Isaac's attention to him. At the moment the head of security was focused on Stiles.

"I thought we were clear about this." Isaac greeted him when they came closer. "You're not leaving the Red without protection."

"Are you serious?" Stiles gaped at him, arms flailing. "You're not coming with us. Not on our date."

How Isaac even knew about this in the first place was beyond Derek but he agreed with Stiles that Isaac wasn't coming with them. Especially considering where they were about to go.

Unimpressed Isaac crossed his arms over his chest.

"The police still hasn't caught the bomber." Isaac started and he sounded far from finished. "Harris is still missing and there's probably a pissed off alpha werewolf coming for Derek, I'm not going to let you go out there without at least a bodyguard."


	51. Chapter 51

**A/N** _Early update because I want to start a new story on Saturday. Check it out if you like._

* * *

"You're not coming with us." Stiles said firmly but Isaac just rolled his eyes and didn't get out of the way.

Isaac had been persistent about security for a while now, this hardly came as a surprise. However, Derek had the suspicion that this was only partly about their safety.

If this were a normal date in a club, even in a kinky club, Derek would have been fine with Isaac coming along as their bodyguard but they were kind of in a scene right now. The rope under his shirt was basically burning into his skin just thinking about it.

Derek was fine with people at the club seeing him like this, that was kind of the point of wearing the rope harness, but Isaac was a totally different thing.

Or was it?

By now Stiles and Isaac were arguing, their voices rising, but Derek shut them out. When Isaac had seen him tied up and vulnerable not only had he been okay with it, he had been interested. And it had been Derek who he'd opened up to about his curiosity. Besides, only a few hours ago he had saved Derek from Peter.

Derek could give him something back.

However, the big question was if Derek wanted Isaac to witness his submissive side. To his own surprise, he found that the answer to that was that he didn't really mind.

"It's for your own safety." Isaac still didn't budge.

"It's about our privacy." Stiles countered.

This was going nowhere. Derek rolled his eyes and said: "He can come with us."

It was Stiles decision too but Derek had a feeling that this was more about him than about Stiles. Stiles wanted to protect him.

However, both of them ignored him and kept on arguing.

"Hey!" Derek bellowed and that got their attention. "I said that he can come with us."

Isaac instantly grinned at him while Stiles stumbled over his own feet in his attempt to swirl around with an outraged "What?" on his lips.

Derek caught him before he could actually fall.

"I don't mind." He said calmly. "So, if you're fine with it …" He left it open for Stiles to decide. Isaac was Stiles' friend too and showing his dominate side in front of him probably was equally difficult as for Derek to submit in front of him.

For a long moment Stiles studied his face but then he turned back to Isaac.

"Just so we're clear about what's going on here." He said, one hand peeling away Derek's jacket to reveal the lines of rope clearly visible under his shirt. "We're not exactly a vanilla couple on a date."

Isaac's eyes went huge when he realized what Stiles was showing him. Derek averted his eyes but he let him a have a good look at Stiles' handiwork. He had expected to feel ashamed under his friend's eyes but he felt pride? Without really noticing Derek stood straighter, maybe even presenting a little bit.

"I don't want to watch you two having sex." Isaac hurried to say. "Or do other stuff." His heart stuttered over the last bit. Derek raised an eyebrow at him, trying to figure out what was going on in his friend's mind. But Isaac's face was a well guarded mask.

"I just want to make sure that you're safe." Isaac let out a sigh, clearly debating if he should say what was on his mind or not. To Derek's surprise he actually continued.

"To be honest, that's not the whole reason." He admitted. He ran his hand through his hair and let out a nervous laugh. "I asked Derek about these kind of things. And when I heard where you're going tonight …"

"You know that you can ask me anything, right?" Stiles let out a sigh and his fingers twitched as if he was itching to give Isaac the same comfort he was giving Derek.

"Okay, you can come with us." Stiles decided eventually. "As our bodyguard. You keep your distance and don't interfere. I'm more than happy to answer every question you have but not while Derek and I are sceneing."

Isaac agreed eagerly and a moment later Derek was with Stiles in the back of the car. Since Isaac was coming with them, he was the one driving. Which gave Derek some time to get back in the right mindset for their evening. Derek didn't know about Stiles but he for sure had lost his mental footing. He had been anxious before but his mind had been in the right place to just follow Stiles' lead. Now not only would people see the sub in him, which he had made sure of himself by asking Stiles for the rope, but Isaac would see him as well. That too had been his decision and he didn't regret it but it did nothing to calm his nerves.

He took a deep breath to feel the rope tight around his body and his hand found the cuff around his left wrist. He gave it a little squeeze.

"Just relax." Stiles' attention was fully on him again. He shifted closer until his hip was pressed against Derek's, effectively pressing the lowest knot on his side into his skin. He made a mental note to ask Stiles for more pictures once the ropes came off, by then he should have some nice rope marks all over him.

"Relax." Stiles repeated and slipped a hand under his shirt. Fingertips bumped over lines of rope and ghosted over his skin. Derek let out a shaky breath and closed his eyes.

The club went by the name Jungle and on the outside it looked like any other club. The bouncer greeted Stiles by name and after an approving look over Derek, he had left the jacket in the car and there was no hiding what he was wearing under his shirt now, he let all three of them in. Isaac in his suit and with his professional blank expression got dismissed as the bodyguard he was.

At first glance it was a club like every other with a bar and a dance floor. However, there were stages in the back with a cross and other equipment but nothing was in use currently. An opening to the side led to what Derek assumed were the private and not so private rooms but he couldn't tell from this distance.

Like Stiles had predicted, there were people wearing leather or latex, some openly in bondage gear, and instantly Derek breathed easier. Rope under normal clothes suddenly seemed almost vanilla.

"Okay?" Stiles whispered in his ear and Derek knew he would turn around and walk right back out if Derek told him that he wanted to leave.

"Green." Derek gave him a smile and then waited for Stiles' lead.

"Let's sit down, then." Stiles started to make his way through the thin crowd and Derek followed him a step behind, his eyes fixed on the back of his dom. Distantly he was aware that Isaac was following them as well but that was not important now.

"You have got to be kidding me!" The voice was loud enough to carry over the music. It belonged to a man coming towards them with angry strides. "You have balls showing up here. With him." The last part came with a wide gesture at Derek.

Stiles shifted a little so that he stood more between Derek and the man who had come to a halt in front of Stiles. Isaac had inched closer as well, standing now next to Derek and he wondered if he had his taser on him.

"Parrish." Stiles greeted him and even if Derek couldn't see it, he knew the grin Stiles was wearing right now. It was his way of saying "Bring it".

"This is a safe place." Parrish lowered his voice when he noticed people staring at them but his eyes were cold. "You used to respect the lifestyle." For a second there was almost sadness in his voice and Derek wondered if there was a story behind that but then it was gone. "You're no longer welcomed here, Stiles. Mr. Hale." He turned towards Derek and the change in his whole manner was instant. "You're more than welcome to stay."

He wanted to say more but was interrupted by Stiles.

"What the fuck is going on here?"

Given the fact that this guy knew his name and recognized him on sight, Derek had a pretty good idea what was going on. The rumors were working a little too well.

"You're banning me because you heard some rumors?" Stiles was on the same train of thoughts and judging by the way Parrish almost flinched he had hit the nail on the head.

"I have reason to believe that your relationship with Mr. Hale is of dubious consent at best." He said coldly.

"Because of rumors!" Stiles threw his whole body into that statement but he managed to keep his voice on a civil level. "Shouldn't you at least ask me if there's something to it? Or Derek?"

Now Parrish did look a little uncomfortable.

Derek wanted to say that everything they did was with his full consent, that Stiles respected the limits he'd set, but it would just sound like something he was supposed to say and he doubted that would help Stiles' cause.

"You really shouldn't listen to rumors, Jordan." A new voice suddenly spoke up. Like a goddess Lydia Martin emerged from the crowd. "You know Stiles. How can you even for a second believe that he would force somebody into anything?" She raised a perfect eyebrow at him, clearly waiting for an explanation.

Parrish held her gaze for maybe a second before he crumbled.

"This place is supposed to be safe." He said in a poor attempt to keep the upper hand. "I'm not going to allow abuse under my roof."

"I vouch for Stiles." She stood tall, a clear challenge in her posture and even if Parrish was technically taller than her, he looked small next to her. She gave him one hard look before she turned to Stiles, clearly dismissing who Derek suspected was the owner of this establishment.

"Would you like to join me?" She offered her arm to Stiles.

"With pleasure." Stiles hinted a bow before he took her arm and together they marched off like they owned the place.

Derek still wasn't sure what had just happened so he just fell in step behind Stiles. To his surprise a woman joined him. He was about to ask what that was about when he recognized Lydia's assistant. Looked like she wasn't just an assistant.

Stiles had never mentioned that Lydia was in the lifestyle as well but the dark green corsage with the black lace she wore like an armor left no room for doubt. Plus of course the woman with the bright red ball gag walking a step behind her.

Lydia led them to a booth where she sat down like a queen on a throne in one of the plush chairs and next to her the other woman sank gracefully to her knees without prompting.

Derek had been wondering about that, should he sit next to Stiles or kneel at his feet, but seeing the natural way Lydia and her sub handled it, he didn't hesitate to sink to his knees as well. Stiles made an approving sound and his hand found its way to Derek's hair. To an outsider it might look like a possessive gesture and partly it was but the fingers lazily massaging his scalp were soothing.

Isaac remained standing and if he had an opinion to all this, he kept it to himself.

"Your little scheme starts to backfire on you." Lydia observed over the rim of her wine glass.

Before Stiles could answer a waitress appeared and asked for his drink order. Stiles ordered coke for himself and water for Derek and Isaac, keeping his no alcohol promise.

"There are some minor inconveniences." Stiles was back on topic once they were alone again. "But all in all I'm very satisfied with the outcome." The last part was layered with meaning but Lydia just rolled her eyes.

"I don't know what exactly you're playing at here." A manicured hand gestured in Derek's general direction. "But I do know that with you nothing is as simple as it looks."

"You give me too much credit." Stiles leaned back in his chair and Derek just followed the hand in his hair until he was leaning against Stiles' leg.

Lydia gave him an unimpressed look.

"However, it's good to see you, I wanted to talk to you." She had a quick look around but the booth was pretty private. "There's somebody asking questions about you."


	52. Chapter 52

**A/N** _Posting schedule for now:_

"At least the Road to Hell is paved, I'm not good with Stairways" _on Saturday_

"Gambling Debts" _on Sunday or Monday (depending on real life)_

* * *

"Who?" Stiles asked, only mildly curious. People were asking about him all the time, it was nothing out of the ordinary. He was not the biggest fish in Vegas but he did own one of the larger casinos. Paparazzi and journalists were always looking for a good story.

People trying to find a way into high society wanted to know where they could meet Stiles and what would most likely catch his attention. Derek got frequently asked if he could introduce them.

And lately even the police was interested in Stiles. However, if Lydia deemed this worth her attention, it had to be more than that.

Lydia hesitated for a second, her gaze flickering to Derek kneeling next to Stiles.

"Peter Hale." She finally said.

"Red." Derek said and a second later he sat in the chair next to Stiles. Stiles' hand was still frozen in mid-air where his head had been only a second ago and Isaac made a confused sound but Derek's focus was on Lydia.

"What did he want?" He asked, silently challenging her to comment on him safewording. Which she didn't.

Stiles didn't comment on it either and his hand found its way to Derek's thigh, a comforting gesture but it was a different kind of comfort now than it had been seconds ago. Derek had no idea how Stiles did it but he was clearly comforting his boyfriend now and not his sub.

When Lydia spoke, she acknowledged the change in dynamics by speaking to both of them.

"Peter showed up at Scott's clinic last week." She started. "He had a hurt dog with him and while Scott fixed him up, they chatted. Apparently Peter mentioned that he's an old friend of yours."

Stiles let out a groan.

"What did he tell him?" Derek asked while he still tried to figure out why of all people Peter had picked Scott. He didn't even live in Vegas and Derek had seen him how often? Three times in all the months he'd lived with Stiles? On the other hand, he didn't know how often Scott and Stiles spoke to each other. They texted quite often, he knew that, but he had no idea what Stiles was telling him.

To his surprise it wasn't Lydia who answered him, it was Isaac.

"Everything he wanted to know."

"What?"

"Scott is a little …" Stiles started to explain but Lydia cut in.

"Dumb." She finished the sentence for him.

"I prefer naive." Stiles corrected, sounding mildly offended. "He's my best friend. Best friends don't call each other dumb."

"He's not my best friend." Lydia reached for her glass of wine but didn't hide the fond smile on her lips.

"Why did he tell you and not Stiles?" Derek wondered. Shouldn't Scott tell his best friend when somebody was asking questions about him? What had Lydia to do with this?

"Because Peter told Scott to send his regards and Scott totally forgot to ask for his name. And he's too much of a good puppy to just forget about it. So he called me in hope that I could give him a name."

"How do you know it was Peter, then?" It sounded like something Peter would do but that didn't mean anything.

Now Lydia's expression became hard.

"Because according to Scott the dog he had with him looked like he'd lost a fight with a werewolf. That kind of narrowed it down."

Derek felt his claws sprout and he hurried to curl his fingers but nobody was paying attention to him anyway. Everybody at the table was too shocked.

"That bastard." Stiles was the first to find his voice again and Derek expected a full rant about what kind of sick bastard his uncle was but while Stiles drew in a breath, Isaac spoke up.

"What exactly was he asking about?" Isaac wanted to know in his head of security voice, he was all business now.

"They chatted." Lydia repeated as if she was talking to a five-year old. "Scott has no idea what he told him without even realizing."

Her gazed lingered for a moment longer on Isaac and she chose her next words carefully.

"I might not know what you're doing here, Stiles, but I have an idea." She stood and reached for her glass. "You should ask yourself, what does Scott know? What does he suspect?" She took another sip of wine while she waited for her words to sink in. "Jordan shouldn't bother you any longer. Enjoy your evening. Derek, Isaac." She gave each of them a nod and then turned to leave, her sub following on her heel.

"Thanks, Lyds." Stiles said after her, already deep in thoughts.

"That's a good question." Isaac picked up Lydia's comment. "What does Scott know?"

"Not as much as you." Stiles answered but left it at that, they were in public after all.

Derek had met Scott only a few times. Last time shortly after the bomb threat. He and Stiles had already been together at that point and they had acted like it. It had been obvious even for their waitress but Scott had been totally oblivious. As far as Scott was concerned, Derek was still a charity case.

But even if Peter knew about him and Stiles being together, what harm could he do with that kind of information?

Instantly Derek wished he hadn't thought that.

"So, no real harm done, right?" Isaac slipped into the seat Lydia had just left, sitting now across from them. "Not really how I expected this evening to go. This feels more like work than anything else." He admitted with a lopsided smile. "What now?"

Derek didn't know how much research Isaac had done on his own but he seemed to know what Derek had done when he'd safe-worded. At least enough to realize that things were different now.

Stiles looked at Derek.

"I'm not sure if I'm in the right mindset to continue." Stiles admitted. "But we can stay, see what's going on in the back rooms. If you want."

Instead of an answer Derek unbuckled the cuff around his wrist. The whole evening had been a clusterfuck. First Isaac, then the owner of the club and now the bomb Lydia had just dropped on them.

Suddenly the rope around his body felt constricting and Derek had to fight the urge to rip it off with a full set of claws.

"Get the rope off me." He gritted out from behind too many teeth. When he clenched his fists, he felt claws digging into his palms.

Instantly Stiles' hand was on the nape of his neck.

"Breathe." Stiles kissed him next to his ear. "You're doing good. Just breathe. I'll get you out of that in a second." His voice was soothing and Derek calmed down enough to let Stiles handle this.

"What's going on?" Isaac asked, concern clear in his voice. He was sitting right across from Derek but for a second he had forgotten that they weren't alone. Derek blinked at him, unable to answer. But he didn't have to, Stiles was handling this.

"We need some privacy." Stiles explained. "Go to the bar and get us a key for a private room."

With that Isaac was out of the way and actually helping solving the problem, Derek could stand this for a little while longer.

"I'm here." Stiles was whispering in his ear. "We can go to a room in a moment. I got you."

It felt as if with every breath the ropes tightened around his chest, making it harder to breathe. A bit like a boa slowly suffocating its victim.

But Stiles was here. He wouldn't let anything bad happen to him. Derek focused on the hand on his neck and Stiles' voice in his ear.

"I'm okay." He managed to say. "But I'd really like to get out of this rope. Now."

He knew that he could just rip it off, that made it a little better, but he doubted that it was a good idea to rip off his clothes along with it in the middle of the club. Given what kind of club it was, people probably wouldn't even bat an eye, though. Under different circumstances that thought would have been funny.

But then Isaac was back with the key and a minute later Derek was alone with Stiles in one of the private rooms.

Stiles helped him out of his clothes until Derek stood in the middle of the room in nothing but the rope harness.

"I expected this moment to be more sexy." He said, his chest still too tight but getting rid of the extra restriction of the clothes had helped already.

"You and me both." Stiles muttered. Then he ran down Derek's side with the tip of his finger. "Slice along here and it will come right off. Just don't hurt yourself. Can you do that?"

There probably were scissors somewhere around here for this very reason but using his claws was way faster. Like Stiles had predicted, that one line of cuts did the trick and a second later Derek stood in a puddle of ropes.

"Better?" Stiles asked, already leading him over to the bed that was dominating the room.

Derek took a deep breath before he nodded. He did feel better.

"Lay down, I get the oil."

Derek was already half-way into a lying position but now he threw a glance over his shoulder at Stiles.

"For a massage." Stiles gestured wildly with one hand while he was going through some bottles on a shelf near the bed. "You know, to get the blood flowing again, to get the tension out of your system. A massage. We haven't done that in a while."

That was true. They had started with only massages, nothing kinky or even erotic to it. Lately they had so many other things they wanted to do but a massage was just what he needed right now.

He settled in the middle of the bed so that Stiles had easy access from all sides and pillowed his head on his hands.

But then Stiles was with him sooner then expected and without the telltale rustling of clothes.

"Get naked." Derek said without even lifting his head.

"You know." Stiles let out a quiet laugh but did start to undress. "In this rooms usually the dom gives the orders."

"You're not my dom." Derek said into the mattress while the familiar weight of Stiles settled on his lower back.

"True." With strong hands he worked the oil into Derek's skin. "At least not at the moment."

Then Stiles started to knead the tense muscles of his neck and Derek sank deeper into the mattress. For a moment neither of them spoke.

Then Stiles broke the silence.

"I'm sorry." He said. "This is not how I planned this evening."

"It's fine." Derek mumbled, already dozy. "Next time is going to be better. And I'm getting a massage out of it, I call it a win."

"Only minutes ago you were close to a panic attack." Stiles reminded him. "And earlier you safe-worded."

"Stiles." He twisted enough to look at him. "It's fine. I'm good. Nothing that has happened today was your fault. You did your best to protect me and make this a good date. You know that I didn't safeword because I was at my limits, I needed to talk to Lydia. And after what she told us, we both were in no condition to continue. You did the right thing, you got me out of there."

"It's just." Stiles let out a sigh, his hands working along his spine. "I wanted this to be fun."

"I'm enjoying this." Derek assured him. "Just you and me. We don't always have to do stuff. This is good."

Stiles didn't say anything to that and focused on the massage instead.

Later Derek lay warm and relaxed under the blanket with Stiles in his arms. He didn't know for how long they had the room but at the moment he didn't care.

He was close to sleep when Stiles suddenly said: "We totally abandoned Isaac out there."


	53. Chapter 53

"We totally abandoned Isaac out there." Stiles said but Derek's muddled brain needed a moment to comprehend what he was saying.

"He'll survive." Derek let out a sigh and cuddled closer to Stiles. "At least for a few minutes longer." He had no idea how long they had been in this room, he might have drifted off to sleep at some point, but he wasn't ready to leave the comfy bed. Five more minutes, he promised himself.

"He might get scarred for life." Stiles mused but didn't try to wiggle out of Derek's arms. If anything he snuggled even closer. One leg slipped between Derek's, bringing their groins closer together. Derek was pliant and soft all over, his body basically melting into the mattress after the massage, but what he felt of Stiles' cock, it wasn't as soft as his.

Stiles' lips found his and they shared a lazy kiss. Stiles moved shallowly against him, his filling cock in the hollow of Derek's hip.

"You up for something?" Stiles asked between little kisses.

Derek was content with just lying here but he didn't mind either.

"If I don't have to move." He decided after a moment.

Stiles paused with the kisses to study him and Derek blinked sleepily up to him.

"We don't have to." He said and Derek knew he would just snuggle up with him again if Derek said no. Instead Derek rolled to his side and drew his upper leg closer to his chest, a clear invitation.

Stiles let out a little laugh and reached for the lube.

Derek almost fell asleep with Stiles fingers in him and he didn't really rose when the fingers disappeared and Stiles' cock took their place.

Spooning him Stiles thrust into him with slow rolls of his hips. Derek let out a content sigh and just relaxed farther. Long minutes later when Stiles spilled his release deep in him Derek wasn't even really awake any more.

"Does that count as somnophilia? Stiles asked, his breath ghosting for the lobe of Derek's ear.

Derek grunted at that and made an unhappy sound when Stiles slipped out of him. He hadn't come, he wasn't even hard, but this was good. Somehow getting the message Stiles didn't even try to get him aroused. He just spooned up closer until he was flush against his back, their fingers tangled together over Derek's heart.

"We need to get up soon." Stiles said into the nape of his neck. "And we should rescue Isaac at some point."

Right, this was not their bed. This was a rented room in a club.

They still took their time but in the end they got up. Stiles had cleaned him up but when he got upright, Derek still felt come slipping out of him. Without doing something about it, he put his jeans on.

Then they went in search for Isaac.

Derek expected to find him a the bar, desperately clinging to his drink, but they found him in one of the public rooms.

The room had a cross in the middle which was currently occupied by Lydia's sub Kira, if Derek remembered her name correctly. The ball gag was gone and lovely little gasps and moans were falling from her lips. Behind her stood Lydia, expertly wielding a flogger.

Isaac and a few others were watching from the side but Derek was pretty sure that the couple in the middle didn't even notice the audience. Lydia's focus was on Kira and on layering her back with welt after welt while Kira was in her own little world. Derek couldn't see much of her face due to the angle and her hair falling freely now but what he saw was an expression of pure bliss.

He wondered if that was the expression he was wearing when Stiles made him fly. It was beautiful.

Then Derek's gaze wandered over to Isaac and his expression was even more stunning. He was looking at the scene in front of him with so much raw need, it hurt. The wolf in Derek just wanted to make it all better for his friend but this was nothing he could give him.

Maybe he should ask Lydia if Isaac could be next. The thought was absurd but his mind was still not working right.

The scene was slowly coming to an end. Lydia put the flogger aside and then raked her manicured nails over her sub's back. Kira cried out, back arching and whole body trembling, and for a second the air around her cracked with electricity revealing her kitsune nature. Looked like Derek wasn't the only one who's control slipped in moments like this.

Then Kira just collapsed, the cuffs around her wrists the only thing holding her up.

Lydia was behind her, supporting her weight and whispering into her ear, while she opened the cuffs. From somewhere she produced a robe to cover Kira up and then she led her sub to a couch in the back.

This part was truly private and the people in the room quietly moved out to give them some space.

"Isaac?" Stiles caught up with him on the way out. "You okay?"

Isaac nodded and even with so many other people around and the air smelling of sweat and sex Derek caught a whiff of his scent. There was arousal and all the other things he'd expected but what punched the air out of his lungs was the overlaying despair.

Derek would have given him anything just to make that scent go away.

"Can we go home now?" Isaac asked, not looking either of them in the eye.

When they were back in their suite, just the two of them, Derek mentioned Isaac's scent to Stiles.

"He has issues." Was Stiles vague answer. "With his past I'm surprised …" He started but then stopped, a sheepish expression on his face. "That's something he has to tell you himself."

Derek understood. Over the last months he and Isaac had become friends and he had caught glimpses of his past. The same way Isaac had caught glimpses of Derek's. Neither of them was ready to share their story. But they didn't really need to, Derek knew enough.

"If he wants a dom." Derek started, carefully choosing his words. "Do you know somebody?"

In the beginning Stiles had offered to introduce him to some people but Derek hadn't wanted some people, he'd wanted Stiles. He didn't trust easy but he had known that he could trust Stiles. But maybe Stiles knew somebody to introduce to Isaac. If Isaac wanted to go down that path.

"I'm not sure." Stiles admitted. "Let's just give him some time. It's his decision to make."

The next week Isaac was more quiet than usual, clearly working through some things. Derek didn't push but made it clear that he had an open ear if Isaac needed it. Stiles did the same and Derek had the suspicion that some time around the weekend they had a talk.

Neither of them said something to Derek and it was none of his business so he didn't ask but Stiles fell quiet as well. And a quiet Stiles scared Derek more than anything else.

"You know you can talk to me, right?" Derek said. It was Sunday evening, technically way into Monday morning, and after a long night on the floor with small talk and playful flirting with their guests they had fallen into bed. After the noise of the casino neither of them was ready for sleep but exhausted and pleasantly tired.

"I know." Stiles kissed his shoulder. "And I will. But I have to sort this out for myself first."

"Is Isaac okay?" Derek wasn't stupid, whatever this was about, Isaac was the key element. He didn't want to know the details but he needed to know that his friend was okay.

"He just has a lot on his mind." Stiles answered easily. "Are you going to confront Peter tomorrow? About Scott." He changed the topic.

"Yes." Derek grit his teeth. "He can't just threaten your friends."

"Isaac better has his taser ready, then." He smiled against the skin of his shoulder but Derek sensed the steel in his words.

Isaac did have his taster ready and when he entered the apartment one step behind Derek, he had it open in his hand.

Peter was on the couch again, arms spread out on the back and a mild smile on his lips. His eyes flickered to Isaac and his taser but then he ignored the human and focused on Derek instead.

"Scott delivered you message." Derek said instead of a greeting. The wolf part of his nature wanted to hug his alpha and bury his nose in the crook of his neck to inhale his scent but he stopped in the middle of the room and crossed his arms over his chest.

"It was nice talking to him." Peter admitted easily. "A nice, young man. A bit naive, though."

"What did you want from him?"

"I found a hurt dog and thought to do the right thing for once." Peter lied through a teethy smile. "Imagine my surprise when I found out that we have a mutual friend."

"Stiles is not your friend." Derek corrected. "Stay away from him and his friends."

"Oh, you're his watchdog now?" Peter mocked him, still sitting nonchalantly no the couch. "Is that a step up or down from fucktoy?"

Derek growled and Isaac stepped up next to him but Peter was fast.

Isaac cried out, something smashed against the wall and then there was a clawed hand around Derek's throat and his feet were dangling in the air.

Derek dug his claws into Peter's forearm but the alpha didn't even seem to notice.

"Last warning, Derek." Peter said dangerously low. "Go back to Mr Stilinski's bed, I heard you learned to enjoy it, and don't worry your pretty head over things that are none of your business."

The hand around his throat tightened and Derek smelled his own blood while he struggled to draw in some air. His head was swimming.

"Understood?"

"Yes, alpha." He squeezed the words out around the claws digging into his throat.

Peter drew it out for a moment longer, his red eyes pinning him down, but then he released him and Derek dropped to his feet. Catching his breath he only distantly felt his alpha's hand under his jacket.

The money, right, always the money.

"Derek, Derek, Derek." Peter pocketed the envelope and then his hands were back on Derek. Roughly he adjusted the labels of his jacket and then he patted his cheek hard enough it almost counted as slaps. "Don't try playing the hero."

With that he gave Derek a push to where Isaac was slowly collecting himself from the floor. His taser lay smashed on the other side of the room.

"Can you walk?" Derek grabbed him by the arm to help him up. Isaac stood hunched over, protecting his ribs, and Derek was wondering if they should stop at an ER next. Humans were just so fragile.

"See you next Monday." Were Peter's parting words before the apartment door hit them in the ass.

Isaac managed the stairs on his own and didn't even make a sound of pain until they were back in the car. He didn't protest when Derek put him in the passenger seat, though.

"How bad is it?" Derek asked, a worried eye on his friend. "Do you need a hospital?"

"No!" The word came out in a panicked shout. "I'm fine, nothing broken. I swear."

"Give me your hand." Derek held out his hand but Isaac hesitated. He'd made himself small, sitting pressed against the door as far away from Derek as possible and protecting himself from more hits.

"Can you take my hand?" Derek switched tactics, still offering his hand. He remembered a reverse situation when it had been him cowering in the car in blind panic. He didn't know what specifically had triggered Isaac but he got it.

Isaac wasn't totally out of it and Derek figured that he could have pulled himself together if he had to but he trusted Derek enough to let him see this.

In the end Isaac put his hand in Derek's. Gently Derek closed his fingers and a second later black lines of pain were crawling up his forearm. Instantly Isaac breathed easier.

"Eventually." Isaac said, his heart still pounding loud in Derek's ears. "He will kill you."

"I know."


	54. Chapter 54

Derek drove them back to the Red.

"You sure, you're okay?" Derek asked once again when he parked the car. He had taken Isaac's pain but that would have done nothing for broken ribs or internal bleeding. Human didn't heal as easily as werewolves. Peter's claw marks on his own throat had been healed before he'd even been out of the apartment but humans were different.

"I know how broken ribs feel." Isaac assured him. "I didn't hit my head. He just smashed me into the wall."

Derek shook his head with a small laugh. "That's what I told Stiles last time. He informed me that there's no just about it."

Isaac gave him a look but he couldn't hide the smile tugging at his lips. "We're both just so damaged."

There was no arguing that.

They parted ways and Derek rode the elevator up to the penthouse. He needed to clean up, he could feel the blood flaking on his skin, and change into a suit. It was still a bit early for dinner so he hoped that he wouldn't run into Stiles. Since they hadn't planned a date, the floor it was tonight.

After his encounter with Peter, mingling was the last thing he wanted to do today but it was part of his job.

He stepped out of the elevator and instantly knew that Stiles was also here. In his office, if he pinpointed the heart-beat correctly. So maybe he could slip into the bathroom without Stiles seeing the blood.

He made it to his bedroom door.

"Derek?" Stiles came out of the office. "How did it go?" The last word trailed into nothingness when he had a closer look at Derek. "Shit, what did he do?"

There were fingers on his face and throat again but Stiles was gentle and didn't try to hurt him.

Derek had to swallow before he could answer.

"Asked him about Scott." He said, avoiding Stiles' eyes. "That was his answer. Isaac got it worse."

"He okay?" Stiles asked and just hugged Derek close.

"A little bruised but nothing serious." Derek answered, hoping that it was true. He had only Isaac's word for it.

In his arms Stiles shifted as if he'd made a decision.

"You should clean up." Stiles said but didn't let go of him for a little while longer. "Put on something comfy, we're staying in tonight."

"We don't have to …" Derek started to protest but it was half-hearted at best. Staying in the penthouse with Stiles, maybe watching a movie, was exactly what he needed.

"I'll call Isaac and tell him that we won't make it downstairs tonight." Stiles ignored his protest, phone already in hand and with his free hand he ushered Derek in the direction of the bathroom.

Derek took his time for a long shower, he wanted to wash off Peter's scent. He didn't dare to think about what it meant that he didn't want to smell like his alpha. He was seeing Peter for exact that reason, to bond with his alpha, to reconnect with his pack, but it felt all wrong.

Stiles had said comfy so after his shower Derek put on sweats, a worn in t-shirt and thick socks. When he joined Stiles in the living room, he found him in his Spiderman pajama so they really would stay in tonight.

"I called Isaac. He says he's fine but I told him to take tonight off. With stuff like this he's almost as stubborn as you." Stiles rolled his eyes, if at him or Isaac, Derek couldn't tell.

"I canceled our dinner and ordered pizza instead." Stiles informed him. "Is that okay?"

"Sure." Derek frowned at him, trying to read him. He was twitching more than usual, his heart was beating faster and he was reeking of anxiety.

"Stiles?" He stepped closer, not sure what to make out of the situation. "What's going on?"

Caught Stiles gave him a deer in the headlights look and then he let out a nervous laugh.

"Damn werewolf senses." He rubbed the back of his head and was looking everywhere but Derek.

Building up to tell him something, was Derek's best guess. And judging by his behavior it was something big, something personal. Immediately Derek's mind started to race. Had Isaac told him about how weak and pathetic he was? How he let Peter push him around like that? Neither Isaac nor Stiles were werewolves, they couldn't understand. Peter was his alpha.

But Peter had hurt Isaac. Did Stiles want to break off every contact with him? He was Derek's alpha, he needed him. Was Stiles about to dump him? Was he kicking him out?

"Derek, I …" Stiles started but stopped and shook his head as if that was the wrong approach. "Shit, how do people do this?"

"Stiles." Derek felt his heart breaking but he didn't let it show. He was good at that, hiding his feelings behind a mask, but it had been a long time since he'd felt the need to hide from Stiles. "I get it. Just tell me to leave." It might be selfish but he was not leaving until Stiles said it.

"What?" Stiles swirled around to fully face him. If he didn't knew better, he'd say that Stiles got totally blindsided by that thought.

"I'm not dumping you, you idiot." Stiles almost yelled at him. "I'm trying to propose to you here."

Derek blinked at him.

Then he blinked again.

"Great, now I broke him." Stiles let out a resigned sigh.

"You …" Derek tried to comprehend what Stiles was trying to tell him. "You're wearing Spiderman PJ's."

"You're lucky you don't get a Deadpool ring." Stiles muttered but produced a small box from somewhere. It looked like a box for a ring. Was he serious?

"Why?" Was all Derek managed to say. He didn't understand.

"Why?" Stiles repeated, calmer now. "Because I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

Derek listened to his heart-beat but it was strong and steady, Stiles meant what he was saying.

Stiles gestured towards the couch. Sitting was a good idea, Derek didn't really feel his legs any longer and he just staggered after Stiles and dropped ungracefully onto the couch next to him.

"Why now is the more complected question." Stiles said, his long fingers fiddling with the small box in his hand. Shouldn't he offer that to Derek now?

"Why now?" Derek prompted when Stiles failed to elaborate himself.

"To give you a better standing against Peter." Stiles said, eyes still on the box. "If we're official he can't just take you away from me. But that's not the only reason."

Derek doubted that Peter would care much about pack politics but he guessed that he could ask Kali for help. She dominated Vegas, the other packs were only tolerated and she could just kick them out if she felt like it. Trying to force a beta to leave or betray his mate was against werewolf tradition. It didn't matter that in the human world her girlfriend and Stiles were rivals, first and foremost Kali was an alpha and it would weaken her status if she ignored a plea for help in a justified case.

And they couldn't try to make him spy on Stiles any longer. Thinking about it, it had been too calm on that front lately. Derek still didn't know what Peter and Ennis had to do with each other but neither of them could force him to turn on Stiles if they were engaged.

Plus, other alphas might be more willing to accept him in their pack if he came in mated. Not that he was ready for that step. Yet.

"What are the other reasons?" Derek asked.

"Just let me explain." The way Stiles said it made Derek wonder if he wanted to hear the reason behind this. "Please?"

Derek gave him a nod but for a long moment Stiles didn't speak.

"I know that the whole werewolves mate for life thing is bullshit." He finally said. "But you're more committed than the average human couple. I'm guessing, it's because you're careful of who you bring into a pack."

"That's true." Derek said. He reached over and put his hand on top of Stiles' which were still fiddling with the box. "Stiles, what's going on?"

"Isaac asked me to dom him." The words came out in a rush. "One scene, just to try it out. But if he likes it and we work out together …"

"What."

"Nothing sexual." Stiles hurried to say. "But with his past. He has trust issues. I told him that I'd find somebody for him but he won't be able to trust anybody except for me."

That Derek could understand. It had been the same for him. And that was the problem.

"I know what you're thinking." Stiles continued, now desperately clinging to Derek's hand. "That's exactly how we started. And if we do this, you'll wonder if Isaac and I will fall in love at some point."

"So you propose to me to ease my mind?" Derek drew his hand back and stood. He needed some space between Stiles and himself. "Is this just a joke to you?"

"No." Stiles stood as well. "Please, listen to me." He gestured over his chest, indicating that Derek should search for the lie in his words. "I want to marry you because I want to marry you. I bought this ring before I even knew about Isaac. We know each other for only a few months. I didn't want to rush things. I didn't want to pressure you into saying yes."

As much as Derek wanted to detect a lie, he didn't find any indication for that. Stiles' heart-beat told him that he was telling the truth and even if his scent was layered with anxiety and something that was almost fear, it to supported his words.

"I wanted to wait but then Isaac came to me and …" Stiles stopped, searching for words.

"And you just want to help him." Derek let out a sigh. Ever since he'd seen Isaac's face when he'd been watching Lydia and Kira, Derek had felt the urge to help him as well. But this was nothing he could give his friend. But Stiles could.

"What if you're wrong and you and Isaac do fall in love?" Why was he even considering it?

The look Stiles gave him was so full of love, it broke Derek's heart.

"For one, Isaac is straight as a stick." Stiles slumped back into the couch and reluctantly Derek took the seat next to him. "You should have seen his relief when I enforced the no sex rule."

"And second?" Derek asked.

"Nobody can control their feelings." Stiles sighed. "But at this very moment, I'm so madly in love with you, you can't imagine. I want to grow old with you."

"I want the same." Derek admitted quietly. "I don't want to lose you."

"You won't." Stiles assured him. "We don't have to get married if you're not ready for that. And I won't do anything with Isaac if you say no. But whatever you decide, I won't leave. You're stuck with me until you dump me." He bumped his shoulder into Derek's and they shared a shy smile.

"As for Isaac." Stiles continued. "If we do anything, and that's still an if, we won't use the playroom. That's ours. We'll get a room at the Jungle for our session. You'll know when we go there and I won't shower afterwards so you'll have a chance to scent me. If I ever have sex with Isaac you'd know. But it won't happen." He locked eyes with Derek, meaning every word he was saying. "He's not interested in me and I'm not in him."

"I have to think about it." Derek admitted, too overwhelmed by the whole idea to form a coherent thought.

"Take your time." Stiles reached for him and Derek leaned into the touch. "And if you say no, we will accept it."

Derek brought their lips together for a tender kiss. Somehow it ended with them stretched out on the couch, Derek on top of Stiles.

"So?" Stiles asked into the skin of his neck

"So what?"

"What's your answer?" Stiles pushed at his chest to get some distance between them so they could look each other in the eye.

"You haven't even asked the question yet." Derek reminded him. And he'd lost track of the ring box.

"Derek Hale, will you marry me?"

"Yes."


	55. Chapter 55

At his _yes_ Stiles let out a squeal and then he flipped them over so that he was now lying on top of Derek.

The words of protest died on Derek's lips when Stiles attacked his mouth and his hands fisted Derek's hair. It was rough and wild and perfect. Derek kissed back with a hint of too much teeth.

Stiles lay slotted between his legs and after a moment he shamelessly started to move against Derek. Since Stiles showed no intention to let go of his hair ever again, it was Derek who fumbled between them until he had both of them in his hand. At least their comfy pants provided easy access.

Their skin was too dry but Derek didn't want to stop even for the moment it would take to lick his palm. Stiles groaned into his mouth and moved in his grip so Derek just went with it and gave both their cocks a firm squeeze.

"Shit." Stiles shuddered. "Don't stop."

Derek worked their cocks dirty and fast, the dry friction just shy on painful. Stiles was the first to come, his cock twitching between Derek's and his hand, his come easing the way now, and it took only a few more strokes for Derek to come as well.

Then they just lay there, Stiles panting on top of Derek, both a little dizzy.

"Thought this was an occasion for tender sex." Derek said. Not that he wanted it any other way.

"For us this was sweet and tender." Stiles said into his chest, his mouth already leaving a damp spot on his shirt but Derek just slung his arms around him and held him close.

"And you never gave me that ring."

"I think I lost it somewhere."

In the end Stiles had to lie flat on the floor, head stuck under the couch, to get the little box.

Since he was already on the floor, he offered it to Derek on his knees.

Derek had already said yes so this was all backwards too but that just fit into the whole evening.

"You sure I should wear it?" Derek looked at the ring on his finger. It was a simple band made of two kinds of gold. It did look expensive, though. "I mean with the rumors and all that."

"Probably not a good idea." Stiles admitted. "You could wear it around your neck for now."

"At least until I get one for you as well." Derek said but he kept the ring on his finger for now.

"You don't have to." Stiles tried to decline. "We'll get matching rings for our wedding."

"I want to." Derek kissed him.

They fell into a comfortable silence, just enjoying the other's company.

"About Isaac." Derek started after a while. "Is it okay if I talk to him first?"

"Of course." Stiles nodded. "He kind of wants to talk you too, making sure that you're okay with this whole idea."

"I haven't said yes. To that at least."

"But you're considering it." Stiles said. "I know this is a big thing to ask, thank you."

They ate their pizza and watched a movie and the whole evening Derek couldn't stop playing with the ring on his finger.

Somehow he ended up with his head in Stiles' lap, who was lazily carding his fingers through his hair, and when the credits started to roll, he was half asleep.

Stiles bend down to kiss him and whisper in his ear: "I want to make love to my fiance."

Under different circumstances Derek would have laughed at the sappy line but today he kissed his fiance back and followed him to the bedroom.

They made love, sweet and tender, and Derek fell asleep with a happy smile on his lips.

Work had them back the next morning but not even the most chaotic day could throw Derek off. He felt the weight of the ring on his chest, well hidden under his shirt, and yes, Stiles had called him Frodo when he'd fixed the cord around his neck, and he was happy.

In his lunch break he went over to Isaac's office. He hadn't seen his friend all morning and he wanted to make sure that he really was okay. Stiles had allowed him back to work but had put him on desk duty for today. Apparently Isaac hadn't complained too much which was a clear sign that he was still hurting from what Peter had done to him.

Derek brought coffee and sandwiches as a kind of apology which Isaac accepted gratefully.

"How do you feel?" Derek settled in the chair on the other side of the desk with his own lunch.

"Better." Isaac took a sip from his coffee. "Stiles told me that he'd talked to you."

"You want to scene with him." Derek summed it up. He still wasn't sure how he felt about the whole idea.

For a long moment Isaac didn't speak. He opened his mouth a few times but no words were coming out. In the end he let out a sigh and a wave of mixed feeling hit Derek.

"I can't do this at work." Isaac finally admitted. "Can you come by my place after work?"

"I have to ask Stiles if I can skip the floor tonight." Derek said but he doubted that Stiles would say no. "But I can come by around eight?"

Isaac's scent was just a cloud of dark emotions hanging around him and Derek almost feared what he wanted to tell him that the mere thought of it put him in this much distress.

He was tempted to just give his permission to the whole thing just to spare Isaac but for his own sanity he couldn't. He needed Isaac to tell him his intentions with Stiles and why it had to be Stiles and nobody else.

When everything had started with Stiles, Derek had only wanted him, he couldn't trust anybody else, and he guessed it was similar with Isaac. But Derek's involvement with Stiles had ended with the ring he was wearing on a string around his neck and he needed reassurance that Isaac and Stiles weren't heading down the same road.

Of course Stiles was okay with him visiting Isaac instead of working the floor, so after dinner Derek drove to the address Isaac had given him.

The apartment complex wasn't far from the Strip in a much better neighborhood than the one Derek was used to.

He found the right door easy enough but when he rang the bell, Isaac didn't open right away. Through the wood Derek heard him breathing and his rapid heart-beat and he waited patiently for his friend to gather the courage to open the door. This, whatever it was, wasn't easy for Isaac, that much Derek had noticed.

"Nice place." Derek said when Isaac finally opened the door and let him in. The apartment wasn't big but tastefully furnished and it had a great view.

"Nothing special." Isaac closed the door behind him.

"You've seen where I live." Derek reminded him, trying to lighten the mood.

"Dude, you live in the penthouse."

Derek opened his mouth to protest but then he closed it without saying anything. Because Isaac was right, the apartment he'd shared with Peter wasn't his home any longer. Hadn't been in a while now.

Giving him a knowing smile Isaac stepped past him to a cabinet.

"Do you want a drink?" He asked, already opening the little bar. "I need a drink for this."

The alcohol would do nothing for Derek but he did enjoy the taste and it felt wrong to let Isaac drink alone.

"I take the same."

Isaac poured them their drinks and then they took seats in luxury armchairs. Derek wondered if Lydia had a hand in decorating the place because he didn't peg Isaac as a man who cared if his curtains matched the couch.

"My dad was an abusive asshole." Isaac started with his eyes fixed on the fake fireplace they were facing.

"You don't have to tell me that." Derek hurried to cut in. He had guessed something along that line but he didn't need to hear this.

"I do." Isaac said and grimly knocked back his drink. He didn't get up for a refill, though. "I asked your boyfriend to … dominate me and you need to know why it has to be him." He paused, rolling the empty glass between his hands, still not looking at Derek. "I need you to understand that I don't want anything from Stiles aside from that. I'm not in love with him and I don't want to have sex with him." There was almost disgust in his voice and Derek wondered how hard it had been for him to even ask Stiles for something intimate as this. As far as he knew Isaac was straight and Stiles was his best friend.

"And we won't do anything without your permission." Now he did look Derek in the eye. "I'm not trying to take your boyfriend away."

"I know." Derek said, his voice hoarse. He hated that he was forcing Isaac through this but he needed to hear it. He needed to hear the words and his fast but steady heart-beat and he had to smell his scent. He needed to make sure with all his senses that Isaac was sincere here.

But he didn't need to hear the rest. He didn't want to put Isaac through that.

"You have my permission." He said. If Isaac had asked him in the club when they had watched Lydia flogging Kira he would have given his permission right then and there just to take that expression off his face. He probably would have regretted it later on but he would have given his permission.

"You don't have to tell me about your dad." He added when Isaac failed to say something. "It's okay."

But Isaac had set his mind and with a grim expression he started to talk.

"My dad was an abusive asshole." He repeated. "It got worse after my older brother died. It was just me and Dad then and things kind of escalated." He took a deep breath. "He beat me up almost every day and sometimes he locked me in an old freezer." His voice broke and he had tears in his eyes.

Derek didn't know what to say but Isaac needed him to listen more than anything else right now so he just said there, trying to breathe around the lump in his throat.

"He touched me." Tears were running freely down his face. "He made me touch him. And he fucked me. And then ..." He was choking on the words but Derek doubted that he even could stop at this point. Isaac slung his arms around himself, trying to hold his shaking body together, but he kept talking. "… his buddies … he let them … and then the first offered money."

Derek closed his eyes. He didn't dare to ask how old Isaac had been when his father had started to pimp him out to everybody who was willing to pay.

To give Isaac a moment to compose himself Derek stood and went to get the bottle.

"That's why you reacted the way you did when Stiles had you pick me up." Derek realized. He filled Isaac's glass and put the bottle on the table within easy reach. Looked like they needed that today. Then he sat down on the arm of Isaac's chair. The werewolf part in him wanted to hug his friend and make it all better but he knew that touching him right now might be a bad idea. But he stayed close and it seemed to be the right thing to do.

"How did you get out?"

"Stiles." Isaac said. He braced his elbows on his knees, holding his full glass with both hands but he didn't drink right away. "We were friends back then, Stiles, Scott, Boyd and I. Lydia went to school with us as well and somehow Stiles brought her into our group. We promised to stay in contact through college and it was Stiles who dragged me with him. We jobbed in the Red to get through college and when Stiles took over the casino he offered Boyd and me jobs there." He took a breath but this part of the story seemed to be easier for him. "It was easier for me to give others orders than the other way around but I still had issues back then. Stiles gave me that button so he could get me out of bad situations."

That explained that, Derek had been wondering.

"Aside from you now Stiles is the only one who knows all this." Isaac finished. "I just can't put myself in such a vulnerable situation with somebody, I just can't. Not with anybody but Stiles. I'm not even sure if I can let Stiles do these things to me. But I want to, I need it."


	56. Chapter 56

Isaac sat hunched over with his empty glass loosely between his hands.

"I'm the first person you told this?" Derek asked gently, silently praying that Isaac had spoken to someone before, a therapist maybe or at least a friend.

"No, Stiles …" Isaac started but didn't finish the sentence. He hadn't told Stiles. Derek didn't know the exact circumstances but he was sure that Stiles had noticed things. And then he'd become curious. There had been no need to tell him, Stiles had known.

Derek took the glass out of Isaac's limp fingers before it ended up on the floor.

"Do you want another?" He asked and when Isaac nodded, he poured him a new drink but put the glass on the table. Isaac didn't reach for it. Yet.

"You know that nothing what has happened to you is your fault, right?" Derek asked because he knew guilt, knew it way too well. Things with her had started because of his guilt. And it had lasted way longer than it should have because of it.

"Stiles hammered that into me a long time ago." Now Isaac gave him a weak smile. "I started to really believe it at my dad's funeral."

"But it never really leaves you." Derek said more to himself than to his friend. "Sometimes in the darkness of the night it comes back."

Isaac glanced at him but didn't say anything to that. He didn't have to.

"Do you want this as some kind of punishment?" Derek was so out of his depth here, he had no idea what he was doing. His mind was still swirling from what Isaac had told him and some of his own stuff was bubbling just under the surface and he really wished that the amber liquid in the glass would do something for him. Or that Stiles would come in and take over, that would work too.

"No." Isaac said and Derek believed him. "The things you told me about this lifestyle and what I saw …" He shook his head. "That did something to me. I really want it. But giving up control like that? I can't do that."

"But you could with Stiles. You trust him."

"He's the only one I can trust with this." Isaac nodded. When he continued, his voice cracked over the words. "When my dad and all these other men … the things they did to me … they didn't care if I wanted it. They didn't stop when I begged them to stop."

In the end Isaac took the glass and emptied it in two gulps. The one after that lasted longer but he finished that one too.

And he talked. As if something inside him had broken open, the words just came out. Derek doubted that Isaac was even able to stop the flood at this point. But he had the suspicion that Isaac had to tell somebody, it was long overdue.

Isaac drank and cried and bits and pieces just tore out of him. Not in order and sometimes barely coherent but that didn't matter. Isaac needed to talk and Derek listened. Derek listened the whole night.

It was long past midnight, the bottle empty. Somehow they had ended up on the floor and Derek had a shaking Isaac in his arms. He was running out of tears and words, just sobbing against Derek's chest. It wouldn't take long for him to drift off to sleep now.

When Isaac went limp against him, Derek didn't move. He let his head fall against the couch in his back and just stared into nothingness. His eyes and throat were dry from crying and he felt drained and beyond exhausted. He didn't want to think about how Isaac would feel in the morning.

Once he had composed himself, Derek slipped out from under Isaac and then he carried the other man bride-style to the bedroom. On the bed he stripped him down to his underwear, sleeping in his clothes would be uncomfortable and they were reeking of sweat, alcohol and bad emotions.

Isaac didn't even stir from the manhandling.

Humans wore their scars on their skin but Derek didn't let his gaze linger on the marks littering his friend's body.

Derek tucked him in and put a glass of water on the night table for him. Then, after some considering, he wrote a note.

 _Take the day off, boss' orders._ He underlined that line twice just to make a point. Then he added: _You have my permission to scene with Stiles._

He had told him the last part earlier that evening but written down it felt more real. For a moment he let the pen hover over the page but he didn't know how to thank Isaac for trusting him like this and in the end he left the message as it was.

After one last look around to check if Isaac would need anything else, Derek turned off the lights and left the apartment.

Derek sat in the car for a long time, not able to drive with his whole body shaking. He felt for his friend but Isaac's story had brought back his own demons.

When he finally made it back to the Red, he found the penthouse dark and even breaths coming from Stiles' bedroom. Somehow he had hoped that Stiles would still be awake but after a long evening on the floor he couldn't blame him for turning in.

Derek didn't want to wake him but the thought of lying alone in his own bed with nothing but his thoughts was more than he could bear tonight. So Derek brushed his teeth in his own bathroom, stripped down to his underwear and then sneaked into Stiles' bedroom.

Stiles didn't wake when Derek slipped into the bed but some part of him must have noticed that he was there because a minute later Stiles had him in a full body koala hug.

It was already five in the morning but it took almost another hour for Derek's mind do calm down enough to drift off to a restless sleep.

When he woke up, he was alone in the bed, Stiles' side long gone cold. It was almost one in the afternoon and for a moment Derek panicked over sleeping in before he remembered that it was Wednesday. At least he wasn't late for work.

If and what he and Stiles would do today he had no clue. He still felt tired and exhausted and he was tempted to just crawl back under the covers.

Stiles had left the door open and something must have clued him in to the fact that Derek was awake because a second later he stood in the door.

"Morning, fiance." Stiles greeted him.

"Morning to you too." Derek answered. "Fiance." That word still felt strange and he would need time to get used to it.

Stiles' grin just widened.

"Isaac called." Stiles informed him and flopped down on the bed next to Derek. "Apparently you gave him the day off?"

"Was that wrong?" Stiles let him handle things in his name but technically Derek wasn't Isaac's boss so it wasn't on him to give him a day off.

"Of course not." Stiles reassured him. "He sounded as if he needs it. He wanted to know if you're alright, though. He said that he's sorry for yesterday." He paused and studied Derek closely. "Are you alright?"

"I am." And it was true. Last night had been an emotional roller coaster and he was still feeling the aftereffects but he was fine. "What about him?"

"He needs some time alone but I think he's alright." Stiles said and he seemed sure of that so Derek didn't push. "I didn't even notice when you came home."

"It was late and you were already sleeping." Derek let his head drop back into the pillow. He wouldn't be able to go back to sleep but he didn't feel like getting up quite yet either. Last night had left him drained and despite the fact that he'd just woken up he felt like he'd been awake for way too long already.

"Stay here, I'll be right back." With that Stiles was out of the bed and out of the door a second later but Derek didn't have the energy to even wonder what he was up to now.

Stiles came back with an overburdened tray, bowls and dishes stacked three stories high.

"What is all this?" Derek didn't dare to move when Stiles carefully placed the tray on the empty side of the bed. How he'd managed to bring all this over without dropping anything was beyond him.

"What does it look like?" Stiles started to spread out things on the bed. A bowl of cut up fruit, a basket with croissants and other baked goodies. Other bowls and plates with things Derek couldn't make out from this angle. "It's breakfast in bed."

"And what army do you want to feed with all this?" There was way too much food for just two people and considering that it was past noon, it was more than likely that Stiles already had breakfast.

Stiles ignored him and just kept on arranging the breakfast on the bed. For some reason Derek's cuff was among the things he had on his tray.

"Today I'm going to pamper you." Stiles declared when he was done with setting up this monstrosity. He reached for the cuff. "The only question is if you want to wear this today or rather not. We can have a nice lazy day, just you and me, Stiles and Derek."

"I don't want to think today." Derek immediately held out his arm.

Stiles nodded in understanding and put the cuff around his wrist. Then he stuffed every pillow they had in Derek's back to prop him up.

Satisfied with his work, Stiles sat back, his gaze lingering on Derek's naked chest. Or rather on the ring, Derek realized.

"I want you to wear it." Stiles said.

That he could do. They had agreed to keep their engagement a secret for now but nobody would see today.

With the cuff around his wrist and the ring on his finger he was Stiles' in every way possible and it felt right.

Derek made himself comfortable and let Stiles feed him. Who took his time feeding him little bits and pieces, sometimes teasing him with a piece of fruit until Derek's mouth was sticky with juice. Then he had to kiss it away, leaving his lips plump and wet.

But Derek wasn't really helping speeding things up either. With every bit Stiles put in his mouth, he made sure to lick his fingers clean and if a drop of fruit juice ran down Stiles' long fingers, he chased it with his tongue, licking away every last trace.

The first time was an accident. Stiles let go of a piece of strawberry too early and it dropped on Derek's chest. For a second they stared at each other, both remembering that first time when they had officially crossed the line for the first time.

Then Stiles shrugged and ate the piece right off his chest. With more tongue than necessary, not that Derek was complaining.

He also wasn't surprised when the next strawberry took an extended detour over his nipple before Stiles offered it to him.

In the end Stiles was drizzling honey all over him and then he was licking and sucking along the sticky lines.

The covers landed on the floor along with Derek's underwear and then the first drops of honey hit his heated flesh.

With that part of his body Stiles was as thorough as with the rest, tongue bathing him until sticky spit was running down his crack. Derek tried to lay still and just let Stiles do whatever he wanted down there but he couldn't help the shallow thrusts, chasing after Stiles' mouth whenever he let go of his cock to get more honey. Or a slice of apple which he ran along his shaft from base to tip to collect the sticky mess.

That piece he offered to Derek and only returned to honey-blowing him after Derek had eaten it and had cleaned Stiles fingers.

The last course of breakfast were grapes with a honey-come topping but at that point Derek was too out of it to really taste anything.

Satisfied with his work Stiles stretched out next to him but when he tried to snuggle up to him, he shrieked back.

"Eww, you're all sticky."

"Seriously?" Derek cracked open an eye but didn't move otherwise.

"A minute ago it was sexy." Stiles admitted, rubbing his hand on the sheets. "But now it's just gross. Good thing I have a bath planned next for you." He beamed at Derek who just closed his eyes. Getting out of bed seemed too much of an effort, even if his balls were sticking to his thigh right now.


	57. Chapter 57

The next day they all had to go back to work.

In his lunch break Derek checked on Isaac to make sure that he was alright, physically and mentally, and to prevent any weirdness building up between them. Like the last time he brought coffee and sandwiches which Isaac accepted with a grateful smile.

"You didn't have to put me to bed." Isaac actually brought up the evening himself.

"It was more comfortable for you this way." Derek shrugged and took a bite from his sandwich. He didn't mention the scars he'd seen on Isaac but they both knew that he'd seen them.

"Are we still good?" Isaac asked, only picking at his sandwich.

"Isaac." With a sigh Derek put the sandwich back on the paper. "You're my friend. What you told me doesn't change that. Thank you for trusting me with it."

They ate in silence for a moment.

"Stiles gave me a list." Isaac spoke up. "About … you know."

Now Derek laughed.

"Have fun with that. He won't do anything with you until you've done the list." He remembered way too well how embarrassing that first survey had been. And that had been the short version without the sex stuff. But that was most likely the same list Stiles had given Isaac now.

Derek left Isaac's office with the good feeling that everything was good between them.

The week went by in a blur and way too soon it was Monday again. And Derek still wasn't sure if he wanted to face Peter again.

He could just walk in, throw the money at him and leave. Or he could put the envelope in the mailbox, that would work too. Either way, he didn't want to bring Isaac back into this. Last time had been rough on him, not just physically, and he didn't want to hurt his friend again. Besides, Stiles and Isaac wanted to do their session on Tuesday and Stiles would cancel everything if Isaac got hurt.

In the end Derek went with the mailbox option. He didn't want to see his alpha and he'd gone for longer without reconnecting with his pack, he could do another week without Peter. It would be easier now than when he'd just started to live with Stiles. With all the touching, Stiles had lost every concept of personal space when it came to him, Derek was in no danger of falling back into self-hurting.

Even on this short trip Isaac insisted to come with him. Just in case.

Derek dropped off the money and sent Peter a message where to find it when they were already half-way back to the Red. Peter didn't answer.

"I know you have to see him to stay sane." Isaac said without looking at him. "Don't hurt yourself to spare me."

"I'm not." Derek nipped that idea in the bud. "I just can't be around him right now." He didn't want to think about next week. Or the week after that.

Since it was Monday and they still hadn't really celebrated their engagement, Derek took Stiles out to one of the restaurants in the Red.

He would have been lying if he said that it wasn't at least partly about what Stiles had planned with Isaac for tomorrow. Derek trusted Stiles and he trusted Isaac, he knew they wouldn't do anything aside from what all three of them had agreed to, but it was still something very intimate.

Stiles didn't ask about his reasons, he just enjoyed the dinner and kept the conversation on a light-hearted level. And he managed to almost constantly stay in contact with Derek. While they waited for their food, Stiles was playing with Derek's fingers and when he needed his hands for eating, his foot found Derek's calf.

"Seriously?" Derek asked over the rim of his wine glass. But he did shift a little to fit the back of Stiles' foot better against the curve of his calf.

Stiles grinned at him but kept talking about some stupid thing a guest had said the other day.

Since Stiles wouldn't be on the floor the next few days, they only had time for dinner before they went back to the penthouse to change into their suits for the evening. Before he'd met Stiles Derek wouldn't even have thought about changing clothes over the day but now he wore three different suits on some days. He hadn't even owned three different suits, not even one if he was honest and for sure not a Lydia Martin. But now it was daily routine.

"Ready?" Stiles asked. They met again in the living room area and helped each other with the tie to make sure they sat correctly.

"Ready." Derek straightened the labels of Stiles' jacket and leaned in for a kiss. The floor still was his least favorite part of the job but it was part of the job and by now that was routine as well.

He should ask Stiles what he expected him to do tomorrow when Stiles would be out with Isaac. Should he work the floor by himself? Most of the time he was just shadowing Stiles, he had no clue how to do this alone. Or could he skip it? But that would mean that he would spend the evening alone in the suite, wondering what Stiles and Isaac were doing.

It had been Derek who'd booked the room for them, he was Stiles' personal assistant after all, so he knew that they would have it for only two hours but two hours were a long time.

After some pondering he put the work question off for tomorrow, he didn't want to think about it right now. They just had a nice dinner, he didn't want to ruin the mood.

Stiles gave him a knowing smile, not that Derek had any idea what he knew. But it was Stiles, he always knew something.

Monday was the least busy day of the week but the floor was far from empty. It just meant that Stiles had more time for his guests and sometimes he spent half an hour with somebody, cheering them on when they won at the roulette table or were lucky at black jack. There was champagne for the winners and champagne for the ones who lost, keeping them all in a good mood.

"I don't understand how somebody can just throw money away like this." Derek murmured to Stiles when they left a man who already had lost a few hundred dollars but was determined to win them back. Of course Stiles had wished him luck and had treated him and his group to a round of free drinks.

"It's fun."

"It's stupid." Derek knew hunger. He knew sleepless nights because he had no idea on how to pay the rent. And more often than not he'd wanted to strangle his uncle for throwing away their money like this.

Stiles didn't argue with that.

They didn't stay on the floor too long and were in bed around two in the morning which was rather early for them.

Derek had thought that he would use the chance for some hardcore sex, maybe marking Stiles as his for everybody to see. That would remind him who he belonged to and Isaac would know that Stiles was off limits. He'd thought that his wolf would need that to assure that Stiles would come back to him. But it didn't.

They were lying in bed, Derek with his hands folded behind his head and Stiles with his head pillowed on Derek's chest. They weren't even touching that much. And it was okay. His wolf part was content and not worried at all. Derek didn't know what to do with that information.

"You know." Stiles started to play with the ring on his chest. "I was kind of prepared for some manhandling and animalistic sex. Thought you'd need that."

"Me too." Derek answered. "But I don't. I'm good."

He didn't even want to have sex right now. Just lying here with Stiles was enough.

"You're the best man I've ever met, you know that?" Stiles shifted to look at him. "I love you so much." His heart didn't falter, the beat stayed strong and sure.

"Love you too." Derek bent down for a kiss.

They kissed for a moment but it didn't lead anywhere. It didn't have to.

Stiles snuggled closer and made himself comfortable on Derek's chest again.

"About Wednesday." He started after moment of silence. "I want that to be all about you."

"Last Wednesday was all about me." Derek reminded him.

"You needed it." Stiles shrugged. "But this week I want to thank you for letting me help Isaac. Most wouldn't."

"I'm not most."

"No, you're not." Stiles agreed. "And that never stops to amaze me. I want to thank you for that in our next scene."

"And you want to do that by trashing my ass?" Derek raised an amused eyebrow at him.

"If that's what you want." Stiles agreed. "Seriously, you have a free pass. Just tell me what you want."

"I'll think about it."

They settled in for the night and Derek found his way to sleep easily.

Tuesday started off normal with a late breakfast and then meetings, paperwork and defusing angry guests. Why the latter ended on Derek's plate so often he still didn't have a clue but to his own surprise most guests walked away happily after Derek had talked to them. And no, he wasn't intimidating them, no matter what Stiles said.

During his lunch break Erica called.

"I heard you have the evening off and no idea what to do with your free time." She said without a greeting. "We're going to the movies and you're coming with."

"What."

"You heard me." Erica said cheerfully. "Besides, I feel neglected, when was the last time you went out with your friends?"

"Since you're dating Boyd you don't have time either." Derek reminded her. "And who says I have the evening off? I'm working." He had forgotten to ask Stiles about that earlier today.

"Stiles." The _who else_ was audible. "He mentioned that you would sit alone in the penthouse all evening, brooding."

"I don't brood." But that answered the question about work tonight.

"Anyway, Boyd and I are going to the movies and you're coming with us." She stated it as a fact.

"I'm not going to be the third wheel." Spending time with her was fine, he liked that, but he wouldn't sit there, pretending to watch the movie, while next to him they would do God knows what. People tend to forget how well werewolves could hear.

"Of course not, silly. Danny is coming too."

"Who?" Derek asked but then he remembered him. "Hacker god Danny?" He knew that Erica had become friends with the hacker over fixing the Red's computer system.

"The same."

"Is this some kind of double date?" He remembered clearly how the other man had looked at him. "You know I'm with Stiles."

"Of course it's not a date." Erica dismissed the idea. "Everybody with eyes knows that you're committed to Stiles."

"Does Danny know that?"

By the time he ended the call, Derek had agreed to go out with them. How that had happened, he had no idea, and he doubted that Danny would see it as going out with friends and not as some kind of date. Especially in the constellation with Boyd and Erica. But Derek had to admit that it was better than to sit in the penthouse all by himself with nothing but his thoughts.

So Stiles and Isaac would have their scene while Derek went out with Boyd and the others.

"Is anybody working tonight?" Derek wondered aloud but there was nobody there to answer him. Not that it worried him, the Red would survive one evening without them. Boyd and Isaac had reasonable work schedules and most likely had the evening off anyway.

No, there was another thing that was on his mind and after lunch Derek couldn't get back to Stiles' office fast enough. Stiles was already there, engrossed in some paperwork. When Derek came in, Stiles greeted him with a broad smile.

"You." Derek accused him. "You sicked Erica on me."


	58. Chapter 58

"I didn't sic Erica on you." Stiles looked up from the screen.

"And why did she just call me, then?" Derek crossed his arms over his chest and glared down on Stiles. Who stayed unnervingly unimpressed. "She said that you said I'd be alone this evening. Brooding."

"You are a brooder." Stiles returned his attention back to whatever he was working on. "And I didn't sic her on you. I might have mentioned to Boyd that you'll be alone tonight, brooding." He glanced up at him. "And that you haven't spent time with Erica in a while."

"So you did sic her on me."

Stiles made a face, pondering. "I manipulated Boyd into sicking her on you."

"That's the same."

"It's smarter." Stiles gave him a proud grin. "Are you going?"

"Yes." Defeated Derek slumped into the chair in front of Stiles' desk. "They invited Danny, too. He might think it's a double date."

"Let him down gently, you never know when you might need a good hacker again." Stiles returned to his work. That bastard wasn't even concerned about Danny flirting with him.

"I thought about tomorrow." Derek changed the topic. Two could play this game.

"Yes?" Now he had Stiles' full attention. "Like I said, free pass, whatever you want."

Derek had thought that he needed to mark Stiles as his last night, which had turned out to be wrong, but the longer he'd thought about the whole situation, the more he was convinced that he needed it the other way around. He needed Stiles to mark him as his.

"I want it rough." He said, locking eyes with Stiles. He wanted to see his reaction. "I want you to go all alpha on me. I want the wolfsbane lotion and the mountain ash restrains." They hadn't used those before but now seemed like the right time. With big eyes Stiles was hanging on his lips and a wave of arousal hit Derek's nose. "I want you to whip me until the skin breaks. Fuck me, use me. Make it hurt. Make me yours."

Only weeks ago he wouldn't have been able to even say something like this but now his voice didn't waver and he was looking Stiles straight in the eye.

For a second Stiles just stared back at him, mouth hanging open.

"Wow." He finally made. "That's not what I expected. Not at all."

"Is that a problem?" Now Derek did falter. He was asking a lot from Stiles here, he knew that.

"The only problem is that I have a boner now." Stiles muttered.

"Good." Derek got up and moved over to his own work place. "You deserve some blue balls."

With Stiles' scent clogging his nose, Derek had to adjust his own semi-boner before he sat down but it was worth seeing Stiles squirm in his chair.

The day went by too quickly and soon enough Derek got a message from Erica to get his ass down to the garage.

Stiles would leave with Isaac a little later.

"Have fun." Stiles kissed him.

"You too." Derek kissed him back and then he spent the whole elevator ride down wondering if it was fun for Stiles or if the scene with Isaac was just something he did for his friend. Derek didn't know which he preferred.

But then he was in the car with Boyd and Erica and on their way to the restaurant where they would meet Danny. They wanted to have a quick dinner before the movie.

"You can't really talk in the cinema." Had been Erica's argument. "And I haven't seen you in weeks, we have a lot to talk about."

By then Derek had been past the point of resistance and had just agreed.

At least she had picked a nice little restaurant and they were seated in the back where they would have some privacy. Danny wasn't here yet.

"What are Stiles and Isaac up to now?" Boyd spoke for the first time. "And why did they ditch you?"

"They want to spend some time alone."

Boyd gave him an unimpressed look. But then his expression softened.

"What's going on with Isaac?" He asked. "Something happened?"

Derek had forgotten that Boyd had been friends with Stiles and Isaac since forever. He didn't know how much Boyd knew about Isaac's past but for sure he knew something.

"He's fine." Derek assured him. "He has a lot on his mind and he and Stiles just want to spend some time together. Since I came to the Red, Stiles rarely spends time with his friends."

It was true and not for the first time he worried that he was cutting off Stiles from his friends.

"And you don't spend time with your friends." Erica spoke up. "You two are just so sickly in love."

Derek gave their joint hands a pointed look but instead of untwining their fingers, she just held on tighter to Boyd's hand. Boyd just stoically looked straight ahead.

Then Danny was there.

He greeted Erica with a hug and Boyd with a nod and then he took the seat next to Derek.

"Derek, good to see you." He said with an open smile.

By the time their food arrived, Boyd and Erica had forgotten that they weren't alone and were busy with themselves. Derek just hoped they would keep in mind that they were in public at least until their wandering hands were hidden by the darkness in the cinema. He'd already made up his mind that he would put Danny between himself and the handsy couple. Not that that would help with the noises. Sometimes he really wished he was half-deaf like humans.

With Erica busy, Danny had only Derek to talk to. Starting point was the security system of the Red, that was how they'd met in the first place after all, but their conversation turned to other topics rather quickly. It didn't take long until Danny was talking about a club he liked to go to and if Derek would like to come with some time?

Derek wasn't an expert in flirting but he did recognize it when it hit him in the face. Of course Erica had forgotten to tell Danny that this was not a double date and that Derek was in a relationship.

Then Danny's hand landed on his knee.

Derek grabbed him by the wrist and put the hand back on Danny's own knee.

"Too fast?" Danny's smile didn't falter, if anything he sounded even more playful.

"You can blame Erica for this misunderstanding." Derek let out a sigh. "But I'm in a committed relationship." He locked eyes with Danny and let the blue flash for a second. The other man flinched back and hurried to bring an appropriate distance between them.

"Sorry, I didn't know …" He started to stammer.

Derek didn't know if it was because of being a werewolf in general or because of the myth that werewolves mated for life but no human was stupid enough to make a move on a committed werewolf.

"Erica." Danny hissed and kicked her under the table. It still took a moment for her to come out of the bubble she and Boyd had created around themselves. "Why didn't you tell me that he's with someone?" Danny tried to hiss and yell at the same time which was kind of funny.

"Didn't I? I thought I mentioned it. He's with Stiles." She sounded surprised and Derek believed her. If she'd set this up, she would have brought popcorn.

"Great." Defeated Danny slumped back into his chair. "Maybe I should just leave."

"You're not going to leave me alone with the lovebirds." Derek stopped him. Erica and Boyd were back to their quiet conversation and he was not going to sit here all by himself.

Danny considered it for a moment but then he settled back in his chair and started to eat again.

Satisfied Derek returned to his own food.

With things cleared up between them Derek enjoyed the rest of their meal and the easy conversation he had going on with Danny.

They walked the short distance to the cinema and now Boyd and Erica actually separated. Erica linked arms with Danny and they were animatedly talking about some computer stuff that went way over Derek's head. So he just put his hands in his pockets and walked next to Boyd in a comfortable silence.

The movie was pretty good too and since Derek managed to put Danny between himself and Erica he was able to actually enjoy it. Boyd and Erica even kept the kissing and touching to a more or less appropriate level.

Afterwards Danny asked if they wanted to end the evening with a drink or two. Erica was the first to scream _yes_ which automatically dragged Boyd into this as well and Derek didn't want to be the spoilsport so he agreed as well.

Part of him was afraid to go home, though. Not that he would ever admit that. It was unlikely that Stiles would be back already and waiting in the empty penthouse didn't sound appealing at all.

"One drink." Boyd emphasized. "Most of us have work tomorrow." He threw Derek a glance.

Tomorrow was Wednesday, the day Stiles and Derek locked themselves away in the penthouse. For a second Derek wondered what Boyd thought they were doing all day. By now the rumors sounded almost vanilla to what they were actually doing. But they had never clued in Boyd.

Which brought Derek's mind back to what he'd asked Stiles for this week's scene. A shiver of anticipation ran through him. But that was tomorrow, right now Stiles was with Isaac.

He felt Boyd's eyes linger on him for a moment longer and he really wished he knew what his friend was thinking. Erica knew at least a bit and she'd most likely told Boyd as well and he wasn't sure if that made it better or worse.

Derek made a mental note to talk to Stiles about Boyd but right now it wasn't important.

After a drink Erica loosened up even more and it didn't take long for her to sit in Boyd's lap. It didn't stay at one drink either and in the end it was Derek who drove them all home. When he dropped off Danny, he got a wet peck on the cheek which Derek rubbed off with a smile.

"We could have so much fun." Danny pouted but Derek knew he wasn't serious. They had enjoyed themselves but Danny hadn't tried to make a move on him again the whole evening.

"Derek doesn't even know what fun is." Erica commented from the backseat.

Derek threw her a glare but she just stuck her tongue out at him.

"I like the quiet types." Danny assured him and then he said goodbye to Boyd and Erica before things could get weird.

Derek dropped off Boyd and Erica at her place and then he drove back to the Red alone.

It was getting late so he expected Stiles to already be home but when he entered the penthouse, he found it empty.

There were no messages on his phone but he didn't want to contact Stiles because he had no idea what he might be interrupting. So Derek went for a shower to wash off the scent of other people and the stench of sweat and alcohol. Feeling clean again he put on comfy sweats and a worn in t-shirt and then he settled in front of the TV to wait for Stiles.

By now he was worried. Not that they were doing something they weren't supposed to do, he knew that he could trust both of them, he was more worried about Isaac. The only explanation Derek had for Stiles being late was that Isaac still needed him. Aftercare was important, Stiles never grew tired of repeating that, and this had been Isaac's first session. Things like sub-drop came to mind and Derek didn't like that thought at all.

Half an hour later the doors of the elevator opened and Stiles stepped out. The second he spotted him, Stiles made a beeline for Derek, catching him in a fierce hug. Not sure what was happening Derek just closed his arms around him and hugged him back.

"Hold me." Stiles said into his shirt. "Just hold me."


	59. Chapter 59

Derek held him.

Stiles arms were almost painfully tight around his middle and he was shaking so Derek just held him. Since Stiles didn't seem to be able to communicate what was going on, Derek buried his nose in his neck and took a deep breath.

Stiles didn't smell hurt but he was surrounded by a cloud of emotions that made Derek dizzy. Too much and too entangled up to decipher but not all bad either. He smelled Isaac in the mix but it was impossible to tell which ones came from Stiles and which were clinging to him from Isaac.

"What happened?" Derek asked. A silent Stiles scared him. It was just wrong. Derek wasn't even sure if Stiles had heard him.

"Is Isaac okay?" Derek asked when Stiles failed to answer his first question. Now Stiles nodded, his spiky hair tickling Derek's throat. He still didn't speak but at least he was responding.

Derek didn't know what to do. His mate was in distress and all he could think off was that he needed to make it better, that he needed to comfort him and to take care of him. And he wanted to drag Stiles to the bathroom and wash off this sickening smell but Stiles was just clinging to him, face buried in the hollow of his neck.

So he hoisted Stiles up to sit on his hip like an overgrown toddler and carried him over the the bathroom. There he got the shower going with one hand and then he stripped them both down naked. Stiles was not really cooperative and Derek was grateful for his werewolf strength otherwise Stiles would have crashed to the floor and probably cracked open his skull a few times before they were finally under the hot spray.

Stiles stood on his own feet but he was still clinging to Derek. However, he did wash himself. Mechanically and without really opening his eyes but he moved the soapy washcloth over his body and that was enough for Derek.

Derek tried to stay calm but on the inside he was panicking. His mate was barely responding and Derek didn't know what was wrong or how to make it better.

He kept the shower short and then he just wrapped Stiles in a fluffy towel, patted him down to dry him off before he swooped him up with the towel and carried him over to the bedroom. He had barely time to draw the covers over both of them before Stiles had him in a tight hug again.

"My phone." Stiles mumbled. It were the first words he'd spoken since his demand to be held. However, they didn't make sense.

"Your phone?" Derek repeated just to make sure that he'd heard right. Stiles started to struggle his way out of the towel and the blanket but his attempt was too uncoordinated and he just got tangled up even more.

"If Isaac needs me." Stiles said and for the first time he seemed to be completely there.

"I'll get it." It was way too easy to push Stiles back into a lying position but once he realized that Derek understood, he went down without a fight and snuggled deeper under the blanket.

And Derek understood, of course he understood. It had been Isaac's first scene and judging by Stiles state it hadn't been an easy one. Isaac might need Stiles, Isaac might drop.

But to Derek it looked more like Stiles was the one dropping. He didn't know if doms could drop too but it did make sense.

Naked Derek padded back to the bathroom where he'd left their clothes in a heap on the ground. He checked Stiles' phone just to make sure that he hadn't already missed a call from Isaac but there were no unanswered calls or messages. At least that.

For the next hour Derek held Stiles in his arms, both naked and legs tangled. He didn't know what was going on in Stiles' head so Derek was just quietly there, stroking his head and just waiting for him to come around.

Derek wanted to kick himself. The whole time they had all worried about how Derek would react to Stiles sceneing with Isaac. Stiles had gone over the top to assure him that nothing would happen without his consent and that it was strictly platonic. Derek had been a little worried about Isaac as well, especially since his friend had told him about his past, and Derek knew that that had been on Stiles' mind as well.

Who nobody had thought about, was Stiles. Nobody had wondered what it would do to Stiles. Derek should have thought about that and while he was helplessly lying there with Stiles in his arms, guilt crept back into his mind.

On top of everything he had asked Stiles for an intense scene for tomorrow as well and it hadn't even occurred to him that two scenes back to back might take a toll on Stiles. Hell, Stiles was totally wrecked after the first one.

"It was intense." Stiles finally started to speak. "Cathartic."

Derek didn't know who he was talking about, Isaac or himself.

"He went down deep." Stiles continued, not really speaking to him so Derek just kept stroking his head and listened. "It scared me."

Derek had gone deep into sub-space before but not during his first scene, not completely unprepared. And he highly doubted that Stiles had planned any intense stuff for their first scene. The first session was for figuring things out, to test the waters, to see if dom and sub worked out together. Not for going down deep. It did, however, show how much Isaac trusted Stiles. And how much he needed this.

At some point Derek threw out the damp towel and when Stiles drifted off to sleep in his arms, Derek followed only minutes later.

When he woke up in the morning, Stiles was already awake and on his phone. Derek blinked open his eyes but seeing Stiles sitting propped up against the headboard, fingers flying over the phone, he closed them again with a content sigh.

"Isaac is fine." Stiles informed him. "Slept like a baby, he says." There was relief in his voice.

"What about you?" Derek turned to his side to face him. "How do you feel?"

"Better." Stiles chewed on his bottom lip, thinking. "I'm sorry if I scared you."

Scared didn't even begin to cover how Derek had felt. But he wasn't going to tell Stiles that.

"We don't have to do anything today." Derek said and reached for him. He needed the contact. "I haven't thought about the fact that you would have to do two sessions this close together."

"You need it." Stiles put the phone away and turned towards him. "And the things I have planned for today." He tried a sly grin but it looked like a grimace and didn't reach his eyes. And he still smelled wrong.

"I don't need it." Derek stated and to his own surprise it was true. He'd thought that he would need Stiles to own him, to assure him that he was his, and if things had gone according to plan he would need it but things hadn't gone according to plan.

What he needed, was to make sure that Stiles was okay.

"Derek." Stiles cupped the back of his head, thumb stroking his neck. "It's okay, I'm okay. I can give you what you need."

"I need you, Stiles." Derek emphasized the name. Decision made he continued: "Let's just have a lazy day in, just you and me. Stiles and Derek. Let's have a messy breakfast in bed, stay in our pajamas all day, play video games, watch movies and stuff ourselves with junk food."

Stiles studied him for a long moment.

"You sure?"

"Green." Derek grinned at him and then leaned in for a kiss.

"We're not even wearing pajamas." Stiles pointed out but seemed otherwise content with the change of plans. "And just so you know, I had awesome things planned for today."

"Next week?" Derek offered. He had been looking forward to this as well but at the moment he was absolutely not in the mood. "And I'm going to put pants on when I get our breakfast."

It was still early, at least an hour too early for their breakfast to get delivered, which also meant that he could change the order without feeling guilty.

Derek reached for the phone on the nightstand and called Room Service. Then he changed their usual order into blueberry pancakes, muffins and danishes. Along with coffee, cacao with marshmallows and strawberry milkshakes.

When he ended the call, Stiles was staring at him with big eyes.

"Do you want me to die of sugar shock?" Stiles asked and gestured wildly at himself. "Fragile human here, I don't have that freakish werewolf metabolism."

"You'll survive one breakfast." Derek assured him. Besides, Stiles was stuffing himself with pancakes almost every morning. It was Derek who sneaked some fruit on his plate when he wasn't looking.

True to his word Derek got up when room service knocked, put on some sweatpants and then hurried to get their breakfast. He'd asked for breakfast in bed so it already came on a tray and he didn't have to do it himself like Stiles had last week. Which had turned into a three story monstrosity. Derek still had no idea how Stiles had managed to not drop anything. Magic, was his only explanation.

They stayed in bed until noon, nibbling on sugary pastries and just enjoying each other's company. It was like their cuddle dates back when things between them just had started.

Stiles did most of the talking and Derek just listened to whatever he was rambling about. At the moment he was telling the story how he and Scott had been hiding a stray pregnant cat in Scott's basement and how not amused Scott's mom had been when she found eight little kittens in her laundry basket.

"What happened to the kittens?" Derek asked, completely content with just lying here and listening to Stiles' voice.

"We had to bring them to a shelter." Stiles continued the story. "Scott visited them every day. And since he was there and he's such a stupid nice guy, he helped out wherever he could. Became his first summer job. Later he started to work at a vet's clinic and now he has his own clinic but whenever he's home, he visits that shelter."

"He's a good guy."

"He is." Stiles agreed with a smile. "Almost as good as you."

Derek blushed at that which made Stiles laugh and then they were kissing.

Later Stiles demanded a foot massage because he hadn't one in ages and Derek complied easily.

At some point they did leave the bed for a long shower with lots of grouping and kissing which they only finished when Stiles got soap in his eyes.

After that they moved over to the couch to play some video games. Derek had no idea what he was playing, he just tried to keep his character alive as much as possible but it was fun.

They spent the evening with movies and junk food. Stiles threw popcorn at the TV and gave the stupid people on the screen a piece of his mind while Derek just sat there just listened to his amusing dork.

"Let's go to bed." Stiles lay curled up at Derek's side, his body pressed against Derek's, and they both were blinking sleepishly at the TV. Derek didn't even know what movie they were watching, something with lots of talking but he didn't care enough to try to figure what was going on.

They got ready for bed and Derek was prepared to just go to sleep right away but Stiles had other plans.

"Lay down in the middle of the bed." Stiles instructed him, massage oil in hand. That was another thing they hadn't done in a while.

Naked Derek made himself comfortable on the bed and then Stiles' familiar weight settled on his lower back. He was equally naked but sex was not the goal here.

"Just relax." Stiles murmured.

Derek fell asleep half-way into the massage and he slept like a baby.


	60. Chapter 60

On Thursday Derek was back at Isaac's office with sandwiches and coffee for lunch. He wanted to check on his friend in person. And some part of him really enjoyed feeding him, but that was something he would never admit. Not that a human would understand anyway.

Isaac was busy at his computer and he looked and smelled fine.

"Is Stiles okay?" Isaac asked before Derek had even closed the door.

"It was tough on him." Derek said and pushed some paperwork out of the way to have a place to put the sandwiches. He handed the coffee to Isaac. "But he's fine."

While he sat down in the chair in front of the desk, Derek eyed Isaac. He knew that he and Stiles had talked on the phone yesterday but he doubted that they had seen each other in person since Stiles had dropped him off after their scene.

Stiles had taken over a meeting so that Derek had the time for a lunch break with Isaac which probably was his way to check on Isaac.

"How are you?" He knew that Isaac had gone down deep but nothing beyond that. Not that he wanted to know, that was something between Stiles and Isaac. "Was it good?"

Now Isaac blushed and was suddenly very busy with his cup of coffee.

"Better than good." He admitted after a long moment. "I would like to do it again. Not tomorrow or maybe not even this month but yeah, I'd really like to do it again."

"You should talk to Stiles, then." Derek took a bite from his sandwich.

"Would you be okay with us doing more?"

With a sigh Derek put the sandwich back on its wrapper.

"To be honest, Stiles scared me when he came home that day." Derek said. "He was completely out of it."

Now Isaac looked guilty and didn't know where to look anymore.

"That's not your fault." Derek added and ducked his head to look him in the eye. "It was your first time together and it was more intense than expected. For both of you. Stiles used the word cathartic."

"Did he tell you what we did?"

"No." Derek picked up his sandwich again. "And he won't. I won't ask either, that's between you and him."

"Tucked me in." Isaac said after a long moment, cheeks an adorable pink. "You know, after. When he brought me home." He gave Derek a shy smile. "Now both of you have tucked me in. You're not my parents."

Derek guessed the last bit was intended to sound outraged but it came across rather fond. He doubted that Isaac's father had ever tucked him in.

"We care about you."

Derek wasn't surprised when after his lunch break with Isaac, he just happened to run into Stiles, lurking a bit down the hallway.

Derek rolled his eyes at him.

"He's fine." Derek said when he was close enough that he didn't have to yell. "You should talk to him."

"I was …" Stiles stammered.

Derek remembered how keen he'd been on talking after their first session. Why he was avoiding Isaac now, was beyond him. Sometimes Stiles was just weird.

"I don't want things to become awkward between us." Stiles faltered.

"Things are not awkward between you." Derek said but his attention was on his phone, checking their schedule for the day. Stiles had taken over Derek's last meeting and now Stiles was supposed to see Jessica, the head of maintenance.

Derek switched a few things around before he presented the new schedule to Stiles.

"I totally forgot, you have a meeting with the head of security." Derek said. "You should hurry or you'll be late."

Stiles studied the schedule for a moment.

"I hate you." He groaned.

"Love you too." After checking that they were alone Derek gave him a peck on the cheek and then he had to hurry for his meeting with Jessica. He just hoped it wouldn't be about toilet paper again. They had fixed that issue months ago but one never knew.

Derek didn't see Stiles for the next few hours and when they met again in his office for some paperwork, neither of them mentioned Isaac. Derek took one deep breath and knew that everything was good with Stiles.

He didn't know if Isaac had mentioned that he wanted to do more sessions with Stiles in the future but at the moment he figured it would be best to just let everything settle. They all needed to think about what had happened but Derek had no doubt that next time Stiles would be more prepared for the emotional mess. And Derek would be ready to take care of Stiles afterwards.

They were expecting some important people for the weekend and things had to get arranged. More specifically, Derek had to arrange everything. He needed to check in with Isaac and with the hotel manager to make sure everything was in order for their arrival. Apparently these people were too important to have their secretary call the hotel, no the secretary had called Stiles directly. With a list of requirements.

Derek hated people like that who thought that everybody beneath the boss was incompetent. But these people were some big shots, willing to spend millions on a weekend in Vegas, so Derek grit his teeth and made sure that the minibars in their rooms were stocked with the right kind of water.

The people in charge had it under control but nobody gave Derek grief for making sure that everything was in order. They knew his pain and when, not if, the guests complained later, they could blame it on Derek.

In moments like this Derek wondered why he had taken this job. Flipping burgers had been much easier. But now he slept without his stomach cramping with hunger that was definitely a plus. If it was worth dealing with spoiled overgrown toddlers who had too much time and money on their hands, he didn't know.

Derek's mood was already bad when he got a message from Ennis. The other werewolf almost never contacted him directly so it had to be important.

The message was short, just a room number with a _Now!_ added to it. Derek rolled his eyes at his phone and he was tempted to just ignore the message.

However, the room must be one of the storage rooms on the lowest level and he doubted that Ennis had ever set a foot down there. So whatever Ennis wanted from him was most likely not related to the Red.

If Derek had to guess, he'd say it had something to do with Ennis' pack. After that one attempt to recruit him to spy on Stiles, they hadn't approached him again. It was about time for their next move.

And if Derek was honest, he was curious. Plus, he might gain some intel on what Kali's or more likely Jennifer's plans on taking over the Red where.

However, he did shoot Isaac a quick message and after a moment he sent one to Stiles as well. Just in case.

With mixed feelings Derek went down into the catacombs of the Red. Down here were the storage rooms, boiler room and things like that, it was not likely that he would run into somebody here, which probably was the point.

There was one heart-beat, guiding him to the room he was looking for. Maybe it was just Ennis he had to deal with, Derek mused.

But when he came around the last corner, the heart-beat just two doors down the hallway, something felt wrong. Not exactly wrong, just unexpected.

"You're avoiding me." Peter said, when Derek opened the door.

"How did you get in here?" Derek crossed his arms over his chest but made sure to not block the door. Trapping an alpha was not a good idea.

"A friend showed me a way in." Peter said with a shrug. He sauntered over to Derek and made a point of scenting him.

"You mean Ennis." Derek forced himself to stand still and let him drag his nose along his neck. He had found Ennis number on Peter's phone but he had forgotten about that. It hadn't seemed that important. Now Derek wondered what business his uncle had with the other werewolf. Alphas usually didn't get friendly with betas from other packs.

"How much do you owe the Alpha Pack?" Derek asked. It was a safe bet that this was about money. His uncle owed everybody money who was stupid enough to let him play in their casino. In this case he suspected that Jennifer had let him into the Alpha on purpose.

"A lot." At least Peter looked ashamed for a second.

"And placing that bomb threat hadn't been enough to cover that?" Derek raised an eyebrow at him. It was a long shot but it was worth a try. Derek kept his eyes on Peter and didn't let them flicker around the room.

"That got them off my back for a while." Peter admitted. His shoulders dropped in defeat.

They were pack and family, seeing him like this reminded Derek of the fact that Peter had been alone for the last months as well. And he didn't have a mate to comfort him. For a second he was willing to forget the things Peter had done to him, the things he was most likely going to do to him, he just wanted this alpha. He reached out and cupped the back of Peter's head and for a moment Peter leaned into the touch.

"What do they want now?" Derek asked. "Are they trying to get me to spy on Stiles again?"

"Spy on Stiles?" Peter brought some distance between them to look him in the eye. "What do you mean?"

"They didn't tell you? Kali wanted me to spy on Stiles, even offered me a place in her pack."

"Why didn't you do it?" Peter's voice was neutral but it was clear that he was actually surprised that Derek had stayed with him when he had the chance to join another pack.

"She said that I would have to earn my place in the pack." Derek let his disgust show in his voice. "Even if I wanted to join her pack, you think I could ever do enough to earn it?"

Peter nodded in understanding. "She's just like Stiles."

"Stiles is nothing like her." Derek said and put some more distance between himself and his uncle. Of course he understood how Peter had come to that conclusion but he was wrong. Stiles might have told Peter that he intended to keep Derek, that he would never consider Peter's debt paid, but it wasn't true. The debt had been paid off in the first ten minutes Derek had known Stiles and he could leave whenever he wanted to go. Not that he had any intention to leave.

Peter gave him a pitiful look but didn't comment on it.

"They couldn't get me with that so they use you to get me to work for them?" Derek asked. "I'm not going to give anybody information on Stiles or the Red."

He meant it. He didn't know what he would do if his alpha ordered him to sell out Stiles. Not that Stiles wouldn't know about it. The joke was on Ennis, he just didn't know it yet.

Stiles solution would probably be that Derek fed them fake information. He'd get a kick out of making up the most absurd stuff just to see if they'd buy it.

Derek fought the urge to roll his eyes and just glared at Peter.

"Oh, no." Peter shook his head. "We're far beyond that."

Derek didn't like his tone, not at all. But he stayed calm and didn't rise to the bait.

Peter stepped closer again, a smile playing on his lips as if he was about to tell the best joke ever.

"Jennifer Blake wants the Red Riding Hood and she's sick of waiting for this naughty child Stiles Stilinski to come to his senses." Peter stated. He was close now, a predator looming over Derek.

He wanted to bare his throat, submit to his alpha but Derek fixed his eyes on a point somewhere over Peter's shoulder and didn't say a word.

"You, my dear Derek." Peter said, his eyes flashing red. "You are going to kill Stiles Stilinski."


	61. Chapter 61

"No." Derek said and turned to leave.

"It will solve all our problems." Peter held him back by the shoulder and Derek let Peter turn him back to facing him.

"Your problems." Derek corrected but Peter ignored his comment.

"You won't get caught." Peter assured him as if that was what was bothering Derek about this plan. "It will look like an accident, just do what I say."

"No." Derek repeated.

"Derek." Peter let out a sigh as if Derek was an unreasonable child. "I owe Jennifer Blake more money than I'll ever make, they won't accept a no."

"That's your problem." Derek repeated, this was getting ridiculous. "Who came up with this plan anyway? Jennifer, Kali? Ennis?"

"The last person who said no to them is buried somewhere in the desert." Peter tried another angle. "You might know him, someone from security."

Derek's mind was racing. Then he remembered Ennis' cryptic words about losing a spy. "Harris? Ennis killed Harris?"

"He didn't mention his name." Peter shrugged. "Point is, they want Stiles dead and you are going to do it. Then Jennifer takes over the Red and I'm out of my debts." He smiled mildly. "And you don't have to whore yourself out any longer."

 _At least until next time you're tight on money_ , Derek thought.

"No." Derek said firmly. It was way easier than expected, it actually felt good to tell his alpha no. "And just so you know I've never, not once, slept with Stiles to pay off your debt. He remitted your debt ten minutes after we first met."

Peter just stared at him in disbelief but Derek knew that all his senses were telling him that he was speaking the truth. Understanding was dawning on his face and gave him a nod of respect.

"We're done." Derek said and he wasn't even sure if he meant this situation or if he was done with Peter in general. He was just done.

"I won't accept a no." Peter's voice dropped to a growl and there was red flashing in his eyes.

"Or what?" Derek raised a challenging eyebrow at him. His eyes flickered to the ceiling while he made up his mind. "Or you'll kill me? Like you killed Laura?"

Peter blinked at him. He hadn't expected a blow from that direction, good. Derek crossed his arms over his chest.

"She was murdered by hunters, you know that." Peter answered but he was clearly thrown off.

"The mysterious hunters who just happened to kill her when she got in your way." Derek let the sarcasm drip from his voice. "You think I ever believed that? Even for one second?"

"It was a mistake, I know that. And I regret it." Peter dropped the act. "You have to believe me that I didn't want to hurt her."

"You murdered your own niece." Derek wanted to yell at him. "And now you want me to kill the man I love."

Derek just wanted to leave. He wanted to get away from his own alpha which was more than enough proof of how bad things had become. He knew that he would leave this room as an omega, there was no way that he would stay in Peter's pack, but for the first time that wasn't a scary thought. It felt almost freeing.

Peter studied him for a long moment, a smile creeping on his face.

"You truly love him." There was pity in his voice. "But I don't think he feels the same for you."

"You know nothing about us." Derek spat out. Until a minute ago his uncle had thought that Derek was sleeping with Stiles because of the money.

"But I know something you don't know." He sounded smug. Peter reached into his jacket and came up with a small stack of pictures. "I knew you wouldn't just believe me so I brought proof. The man you love is cheating on you."

For a second the old worries were back. What if this was all a game to Stiles? But then Derek took one glance at the pictures and he burst out laughing. The whole situation was just so ridiculous.

The picture showed Stiles and Isaac at the Jungle, sitting at a table.

"I bet you won't laugh any longer when I tell you that they took a room." Peter lowered his voice to a conspiracy whisper.

Derek just shook his head and gave the pictures back to Peter.

"I'm Stiles' personal assistant." He said, already heading towards the door. "Who do you think booked the room for them?"

"You leave this room." Peter growled behind him. "You're an omega."

That had always been his last resort. And it had always worked. Most werewolves would rather die than become omega.

This time, however, Derek's step didn't falter. Being an omega couldn't be worse than having Peter for an alpha.

"You're not going to leave me." Peter yelled behind him but the words were muffled by too many teeth.

On instinct Derek throw himself to the side but Peter's claws still cut deep into his side. Derek howled out in pain but he managed to use the momentum to swirl around and lash out at Peter. It wasn't even a conscious move, just his primeval instinct to survive. An alpha wanted to kill him and Derek was fighting back with everything he had.

They were both surprised when the fight ended after just one blow. For a second their eyes met. Peter stared at him as if he wasn't sure what was happening. Not that Derek knew. He had just reacted.

But then the red faded out of Peter's eyes and when Derek looked down, he found his own claws embedded deep in Peter's throat.

In shock Derek stepped back. With a sickening sound his claws came free, along with too much blood and Peter just collapsed. His eyes were still on Derek but they were unseeing and dull. His mouth moved but there was only a gargling noise and more blood coming out.

Then power rushed through Derek, telling him without a doubt that Peter was dead.

"I'm the alpha now." Derek said to his dead uncle at his feet. It didn't feel good.

People were coming. Derek heard voices and footsteps but he didn't care. He just stared at his hand, still dripping with blood, and couldn't quite understand what had just happened.

Stiles was the first to burst through the door. He was at his side in an instant.

"Derek." There were hands on him and he just leaned into the touch. Numb he let Stiles guide him out of the room. "Derek, hey. Talk to me."

"I killed him." The words fell out of his mouth.

"It was self-defense." Stiles corrected. "We saw it, there is no doubt about that. You're not a murderer."

There were more people, Isaac and security, but nobody bothered them. They just looked into the room where Peter was lying in his own blood without entering, more securing the scene than anything else.

"Derek? You with me?" Stiles opened another door and then Derek was sitting in a chair. "Are you bleeding?" There were hands on him, tugging and probing and the sound of ripping fabric, but it was distant. "Why are you still bleeding? We need a medic in here!" Stiles yelled the last part to whoever was outside the door.

"Alpha." His voice sounded hoarse and he cleared his throat. "Peter's an alpha, it takes longer to heal."

"But you're an alpha now, shouldn't it be healed by now?" Stiles was on the verge of panic. With his hand not coated in blood Derek reached for him.

"It's already healing." He assured him. He could feel it but it would take some time.

More to put Stiles at ease than anything else Derek let the paramedic clean the wounds Peter's claws had left on his side.

"Police's on the way." Stiles said while the guy finished dressing the wound. "You'll have to go with them." He ducked his head to look Derek in the eye. "But you won't say a word until Deaton is there, you understand?"

Derek nodded. He didn't feel like talking anyway.

"We have everything on camera, they can't hold you for longer than a few hours." Stiles continued. The panic was gone, he sounded sure, as if he knew what he was doing here. His hand was on the nape of Derek's neck, grounding him. "Good job by the way, getting him to admit all that stuff. Jennifer and Kali are going to be in so much trouble. Ennis too."

"Isaac forgot to inform him about the new cameras, didn't he?" Derek glanced up at him.

"Not Isaac's problem that Ennis killed the best spy they had in security." Stiles answered with a shrug.

Derek wanted to get out of his ripped and blood-soaked shirt, he wanted a shower and he wanted to just curl up with Stiles but he wouldn't get any of that any time soon, he knew that. There were already more people approaching. The police was here.

It was getting crowded outside with Isaac's people and the police and God knew who else. And in the middle of all that was still Peter lying dead on the floor. That thought sent a wave of nausea through him and for a second Derek just focused on breathing. Stiles was still next to him, a comforting presence at his side.

"Mr Hale, Mr Stilinski." Detective Morgan entered the room, followed by two officers. The latter had tasers openly in their hands.

"Is that really necessary?" Stiles waved at the officers and shifted slightly to stand more in front of Derek. Who was still sitting in the chair while everybody around him was standing. He didn't like it but he didn't feel like getting up either.

"It is necessary, Mr Stilinski." Detective Morgan answered. "Mr Hale is an alpha werewolf who has just killed somebody."

"Mr Hale is a beta who got attacked by his own alpha. He acted in self-defense." Stiles corrected. "We have everything on camera, Mr Lahey will give you the footage."

She pursed her lips but nodded for the officers to step back.

Like Stiles had predicted they took him with them.

Derek didn't put up a fight when the mountain ash handcuffs clicked around his wrists and he followed Detective Morgan willingly. The two officers were holding him by the arms and still had their tasers ready.

They were already on the garage level so hopefully nobody else would see him like this. No matter what Stiles said, he looked like a murderer.

"Freaking werewolves and their ranking battles." The officer to his right muttered and Derek was just glad that they had everything on camera.

At the station they took his clothes and he was only allowed to wash off the blood after they had made pictures and had taken samples from under his nails. Derek didn't know what they hoped to find, it was Peter's blood, there was no doubt about that, but he just let them do whatever they wanted. The whole time the officers were at his side, guarding him.

They tried to make some small talk but Derek didn't fall for that and kept his mouth shut.

Then they put him in an interrogation room. Cuffed to the table and wearing the prisoner clothes they had given him, Derek felt like he'd already been convicted.

There were two people behind the mirror again, watching him but Derek kept is eyes on his hands and just waited for whatever would happen next. In his mind he saw the red fading out of Peter's eyes and he heard the sickening sound of his own claws ripping through his flesh. Derek shook his head to stop the loop and focused more on his surroundings. He wasn't sure if this was the same interrogation room as before but this time was way more serious.

Then, after an eternity, the door opened and Deaton entered the room.

Derek looked up at him.

"Guess this time I have to pay you myself." He gave him a weak smile but it died on his lips before it was fully formed.

"Self-defense is not murder." Deaton said mildly and took the seat next to him. "And now let's get you out of here."


	62. Chapter 62

Derek wasn't sure if Deaton would be able to get him out of custody like he said, they were talking about murder here after all, or if he even deserved to leave this room in anything but handcuffs.

But having Deaton sitting next to him helped.

"Did they treat you right?" Deaton asked with a concerned look at Derek.

"Yes." Derek answered. They had been doing their job, he knew that, and nobody had been unnecessary rough with him. There had been a few comments about werewolves and ranking battles but nothing really offensive.

Deaton studied him for a moment longer and then folded his hands on the table and just waited for things to come.

Then, finally, the door opened and Detective Morgan entered the room. Followed by an officer who took his place next to the door. For intimidating purpose Derek guessed.

It took him a second to recognize his face but then Derek remembered the officer Detective Morgan had with her when she'd interrupted a scene he had with Stiles. Right before his last time in an interrogation room.

Derek locked eyes with the officer for a second and fought the urge to let the red bleed into his eyes but the man got the message. The grin died on his lips and he stood straighter, hand low on his hip near his gun. An empty threat. Derek dismissed him and focused on the detective instead.

"Mr Hale, I didn't expect to see you here again." She glanced up from the file she was now leaving through. "On the other hand, I can't blame you. The way your uncle, your alpha, treated you ..." She pursed her lips.

"Detective Morgan." Deaton cut in. "First of all, are the handcuffs really necessary?"

"Yes." She said firmly. "Mr Hale here has just become an alpha, I can't risk endangering my people."

"Mr Hale was forced to raise his hand against his own alpha." Deaton corrected. "He has lost the last of his pack and what was left of his family. However, he has been nothing but cooperative. He just wants to grief and be with his partner."

"He didn't raise his hand, he raised his claws." Detective Morgan corrected.

"My client got ambushed and was fighting for his life, he had the right to use whatever he had to save his life." Deaton stated. "I'm sure you got a copy of the footage before me. It clearly shows that my client acted in self-defense." He gave her a mild smile. "I don't know why you're still bothering my client with this. Especially since Mr Hale delivered you information for way more important cases on a silver platter."

Detective Morgan glared at him for a long moment but then she gestured for the officer by the door.

"Take off the handcuffs." She ordered.

"You sure?" He asked, a sly grin on his face. "He seems to like it."

"You're not my type." Derek raised his cuffed hands at him with a challenging eyebrow. He just wanted to curl up somewhere and cry but he wouldn't show that. Not as long as he was here under their judging eyes.

"I'm not a sick …" The officer started but fell silent under the combined glare from the detective and Deaton.

"Please continue." Deaton said. "What were you about to say?"

"Nothing." The officer mumbled and hurried to get rid of the cuffs. Then he rushed back to his post at the door. So much for intimidating.

Under different circumstances Derek would have laughed. Now he just wanted this to be over. He wanted to go home to Stiles. If Stiles still wanted him.

Derek had killed his own alpha. He was an alpha now, a fact he still hadn't comprehended himself. He had felt the rush of power the moment Peter had died but right now he just felt numb. But the detective had been right with the handcuffs, a new alpha could be unpredictable. Especially one without a pack. Would Stiles take that risk? Stiles was nobody to back down but living with an alpha, being an alpha's mate, was something entirely different. Being with an alpha came with responsibilities.

But that was something he would have to discuss with Stiles in private. At least Derek hoped that Stiles was still willing to talk to him.

However, right now he had to deal with the current situation. He put the dark thoughts to the back of his mind and focused of the detective in front of him.

"Mr Hale." She started over. "Why did your uncle ask you to murder Mr Stilinski?"

The interrogation went on for hours but at least she treated him less like a suspect and more like a witness.

Derek answered her questions about the schemes to take over the Red as best as he could. How Ennis conveniently had a plan at hand to deal with the aftermath of the bomb threat. How Kali had tried to get him to spy on Stiles for her and Jennifer. Harris came up as well but Derek couldn't really tell her more than Ennis' cryptic comment and what had come up during his conversation with Peter.

In the end Detective Morgan even promised to have a look at Laura's death.

"What I still don't get is the thing with Peter's debt." She finally said. "You want me to believe that Mr Stilinski just waved off one-hundred-thousand dollar and offered you a job instead?"

"You can believe whatever you want, Detective." Deaton answered for Derek. "But that is the truth. My client even told his alpha that he never slept with Mr Stilinski for money and I think Peter Hale would have known if it had been a lie. Mr Hale has a contract and he gets paid for his work, there is no reason to believe that there is anything else going on."

For a moment it looked like she wanted to argue but then she dropped the topic.

"My client has been nothing but cooperative so far." Deaton continued. "But I think we're done here. If you don't have a reason to keep him here, I think we're ready to leave."

To Derek's surprise he walked out of the building with Deaton not half an hour later.

Not exactly walking, though. It was more of a ducking out of the back door and into the escape car waiting for them there. Isaac barely waited long enough for them to close the door before he drive off.

"What the …" Derek started but then he noticed the van parked at the corner. With the logo of a TV station on it's side. And there were more people just around the corner. A lot more.

"Congrats, you're famous." Isaac said grimly but when their eyes met via the rear view mirror his expression softened. "Are you okay?"

Derek just nodded, not sure how to even answer that question.

"They are not going to press charges against Mr Hale." Deaton informed him. "But they probably want to talk to him as a witness again. To you too, Mr Lahey. To Stiles probably as well."

In the garage of the Red they parted ways with Deaton, who reminded them to better not talk about this to anybody, and then Derek was with Isaac alone in the elevator.

"How is Stiles doing?" Derek asked. For some reason he was anxious to see him again. So much had changed in the last few hours. He had changed so much.

By now it was close to midnight and Derek was dead on his feet but he doubted that he would be able to sleep any time soon.

"Running in circles." Isaac answered his question. "His phone is ringing constantly, everybody wants a statement from him. The guests are going crazy, some left because they don't want to sleep on a crime scene." It sounded like something he'd heard in variations way too often already. "Others are trying to sneak into the basement." He let out a sigh. "There are pictures of you floating around the internet, even a video on YouTube of when they drove you off in a police car."

"You're kidding, right?" Derek asked but he believed him, he could picture it all too well.

"PR is doing overtime." The doors opened and they stepped into the penthouse. The empty penthouse. The lights were off and there was no sound of another person.

"Stiles should be here any minute now." Isaac continued. "Sit down before you fall down." He gestured to the couch and took a chair himself. It didn't look like he intended to leave any time soon.

Derek sat down and sank into the cushion with relief. His body was exhausted and he just wanted to crawl into bed but his mind wouldn't calm down.

It didn't help that Isaac was clearly nervous, rubbing his hands on his pants and reeking of too many emotions.

Why was Isaac even here with him? Just to keep him company until Stiles arrived? As some kind of bodyguard? As a guard? Alphas had the reputation of being brutes. It wasn't true, in most cases, but that was how most humans saw them. And Derek was a new alpha without a pack or a territory. He didn't even have family around to help him adjust to his new status. Alphas like that could become dangerous rather quickly. Especially if they stole that power in cold blood.

That was the reason why there were still hunters around. Not only to take care of rogue omegas but of rogue alphas as well.

For a second Derek wondered if Isaac had his taser on him.

"When I got your message, I basically ran to the control room." Isaac said after a long moment. "Stiles came running too. Then I saw Peter on the screen and I just wanted to kick him out but Stiles held me back. Let's see what he wants, he said." Isaac shook his head. "I can't believe that he wanted you to kill Stiles."

"How did Stiles take it?"

"He was furious."

"I can imagine. Something like that is not easy to stomach." Derek couldn't even imagine how Stiles must have felt when he'd learned that somebody wanted him dead.

"No, he was furious because Peter was trying to use you." Isaac corrected. "But then you turned it around so beautifully, we were all cheering in the control room. Ennis, Kali, even Jennifer, they're going to go down."

It had felt good, Derek had to admit. He had known that there was a camera in the room and he had enjoyed pulling all the information out of Peter.

"Were you still cheering when Peter pulled the cheating card?" Derek asked playfully. He was tired and exhausted and he didn't know how he would survive the next day but for a second he allowed himself to indulge in that memory. When Peter had played his biggest trump and it turned out useless.

"Shut up." Isaac pouted. "There were four people in the control room with us and one zoomed in on that picture. Everybody was staring at me and Stiles. I don't want to know what kind of rumors are already floating around."

"They'll focus on me." Derek assured him, not that he liked it. The news coverage of Peter's death would bring up the rumors again. They had calmed down lately but now they would rise again.

"Most likely." Isaac agreed. "You better stay up here for a day or two, until things have calmed down. And you're not leaving the building without at least one bodyguard."

"I'm a werewolf." Derek reminded him. "I can take care of myself."

"Even alphas aren't immune to bullets." Isaac answered easily but he tensed up at the mention of his new alpha status.

"I'm not going to attack you." Derek felt the need to say. Isaac was human and alone with a new and most likely unstable alpha, of course he was nervous.

"What?" Isaac stared at him as if he had no idea what Derek was talking about. "I know that you'd never attack me. Why would you?"

"But you're anxious." Derek stated and took a deep breath. "Afraid."

Guilty Isaac avoided his eyes.

"I'm not afraid." He said, still not looking him in the eye. "At least not of you." Which didn't help at all.

"I …" Isaac started but then he stopped. Making a decision he straightened up and now he was looking Derek straight in the eye. "I want the bite."


	63. Chapter 63

"What." Derek must have misheard. Isaac hadn't just asked him for the bite.

"Sorry, I thought …" Isaac faltered and mixed feelings came off of him in waves. "Forget what I thought … of course you don't want me in your pack. I understand. I should leave." He was half-way out of his chair when Derek finally realized that he'd meant it. Isaac had asked him for the bite.

The whole situation had a deja vu feeling to it, Isaac reminded Derek of himself in the beginning, when Stiles had offered him a job. He had been quick to run away back then too.

"Isaac, wait."

Reluctantly Isaac sank back into the chair. His heart was beating rapidly but the bad emotions faded away a little, letting Derek breathe more easily. He couldn't remember ever smelling emotions this clearly but he filed it under enhancements coming with the alpha status. Not that that mattered right now. Isaac had asked him to fundamentally change his life forever and was now nervously waiting for his answer.

"Why?" Derek asked. The part of him that desperately needed a pack just wanted to take what Isaac offered. He wanted to sink his teeth into his neck and make him pack. But he didn't. No matter what Derek wanted, needed, he wouldn't do that to Isaac on a whim.

Most people who asked for the bite wanted it because werewolves were "better" than humans, stronger, faster. With heightened senses and the ability to detect lies. Perks Isaac would benefit from in his job, no doubt. However, most people thought that they would just continue their lives like humans only with additional claws and fangs, maybe a bit moody on the full moon. Nobody ever realized that they would become a werewolf.

As far as Derek knew his mother had only ever bitten two people, both already pack long before the bite, and Laura had never bitten anybody. Even Peter never added anybody to the pack.

"You need a pack." Isaac answered.

"I do." It was true, they both knew it, but that wasn't the reason Isaac wanted the bite, not the main reason at least. Derek studied him for a long moment. "But I'm not going to ruin your life just because you feel like you owe me or something like that."

That was the only reason he could come up with. Derek had agreed to Stiles sceneing with Isaac after all, not everybody would have allowed that. It was very possible that Isaac felt like he owed Derek for that.

"It's not like that." Isaac shook his head. "It's just …"

He took a deep breath, steeling himself for whatever he was about to say. "I never really had a family. The things my father did to me …" He paused, lost in memories for a moment and his scent turned sour. "I have nobody. I want a pack." Now he looked at Derek with wet eyes. "I want a family, I want to belong. I just want a pack." His voice broke over the last words and there were tears in his eyes.

Derek studied him for a long moment. At work Isaac was strong and confident, he dealt with troublemakers and unruly guests on a daily basis. He'd faced down werewolves. Hell, he'd faced down Peter. But now he let Derek see his vulnerable side. Let him see the raw need.

"Okay." Derek said, his voice barely a whisper. Thinking back, he had treated Isaac like pack for weeks now, this might just be the next logical step.

Isaac's eyes lit up in hope.

"It will hurt." Derek warned him. "And if the bite doesn't take, you die."

"I know." Isaac nodded.

"You can look for another alpha if you want but for now you'll be my beta." Derek continued. If he did this, he had to make sure that Isaac knew what he was asking for. "You saw Peter."

"You're not Peter." Isaac told him. "How do we do this?"

Of course Stiles stepped out of the elevator while Derek had his fangs deep in Isaac's neck.

"What the …" Stiles stopped in his tracks, gaping at them, but Derek ignored him for a moment longer to make sure that the bite was deep enough. He licked off the blood to sooth the sore spot and only then he brought some distance between himself and his new beta to face Stiles.

"I didn't force him." He blurted out.

"I know that, you idiot." Stiles huffed but then he closed the distance between them with long strides and then he had Derek in a bear hug.

"I was worried." He said into Derek's shirt.

Not really his, Derek realized, he was still wearing the clothes they had given him at the station. For their escape Deaton had given him his jacket but Derek still looked like a prisoner.

And the scent of Peter's dried blood still clung to him along with too many wrong scents.

"But then I come here and you're already busy building up a pack." Stiles let go of him enough to look him in the eye. He was teasing but there was worry in his eyes. "Are you okay?"

Derek thought about it for a moment but then he shook his head. "No."

Now it was him clinging to Stiles, hot tears burning in his eyes. Only a few hours ago he'd lost the last of his pack, the last of his family. Not just lost, he'd killed his own alpha.

During the long hours in the interrogation room he didn't have time to comprehend what had happened but now it all crashed down on him. Peter was dead. And his blood was on his hands. Literally, he could still smell it and it was itching on his skin.

But Stiles was still here. Still holding him, still comforting him.

"I got you." Stiles whispered into his ear. "I'm here. I got you."

Distantly Derek knew that Isaac was still around and as a freshly bitten werewolf, he shouldn't be alone right now, but at the moment Derek just clung to Stiles, the world around them forgotten.

Later Derek went for a shower, he needed to wash off Peter's scent and his blood, while Stiles ordered them a late midnight snack. Derek wasn't really hungry but he had no idea when he'd eaten last so food probably was a good idea. Same for Stiles, he guessed. Somehow he doubted that Stiles had eaten while he was gone. And Isaac's body needed all the calories it could get for the change.

Isaac hadn't rejected the bite but it would take some time for his body to restructure itself.

When Derek came out of his bedroom, wearing his own clothes for a change, he found Stiles and Isaac on the couch together. Isaac sat tucked into Stiles side, with Stiles absently playing with his hair.

They both had their eyes close and hadn't noticed him so far and Derek used the chance to just watch them for a moment. His mate and his beta. His pack.

Which reminded him that he had to talk to Stiles about it. Stiles had been fine with being a beta's mate but being with an alpha was a whole different deal. That position came with responsibilities, the alpha couple led the pack together. Derek didn't know if Stiles knew that.

"Don't be such a creeper." Stiles said without opening his eyes. "Come here."

Derek couldn't help but smile at that but then he hesitated, not sure where to sit. Stiles and Isaac sat in the middle of the couch, there was space on either side of them. But then Derek followed his instincts and sat down next to Isaac. His beta needed him and it felt right to have him sandwiched between himself and his mate.

Derek glanced over to Stiles to find out what he thought of the situation. He wasn't a werewolf, he didn't understand.

"You are going to be a good alpha." Stiles said and reached over to cup his face.

Those were the last words he'd expected to hear and Derek just stared at him in disbelief. Stiles used the chance to lean over and kiss him on his slack mouth.

Between them Isaac made a sound of disgust but didn't try to get away.

Stiles didn't drew out the kiss for too long but the hand on his cheek lingered for a moment longer and Derek just leaned into the touch.

They ate their midnight snack in comfortable silence and in the end they all had trouble keeping their eyes open.

"Isaac, you can sleep in my room." Derek offered. It didn't feel right to kick his new beta out of the penthouse. Derek wanted him around, at least for now, and the relief he read in Isaac's eyes and in his scent told him that his beta didn't want to leave his alpha either.

Only with a delay Derek realized that he hadn't even asked Stiles if he still wanted him in his bed. Things had changed.

"Don't start with your worries again." Stiles yawned. "I'm too tired for that shit." And with that he basically dragged him into his bedroom.

"Night, Isaac." Stiles yelled over his shoulder. "I don't know when he's slept in his own bed the last time and I think they've changed the sheets since then so if it doesn't smell like him enough, there should be a few worn shirts in the hamper. Just follow your nose."

Before Isaac could say anything to that, Stiles had shut the door.

"We don't …" Derek stammered. "It's not like …"

"It totally is." Stiles grinned at him but then he sobered up. "I did my research. In the beginning I didn't know. I cut you off from your pack and I didn't even realize how much I was hurting you."

"You didn't know." Derek cut him off.

"That's the point." Stiles said. "I didn't know and I hurt you. So I did my damn research. Now I know." Relief washed over Derek. Stiles understood. "And if I mess up again, just tell me before things get bad."

Stiles kissed him.

"And I know you're worried if I still want to be your mate." Stiles studied him.

"I'd understand …" Given the whole situation, Derek was pretty sure that he already knew Stiles' answer but he couldn't silence that nagging voice in the back of his head, telling him that Stiles would kick him out any minute now.

"Dude, have you seen me with Isaac earlier?" Stiles almost yelled at him, visibly fighting the urge to whack him over the head for his own stupidity. "The answer is yes. Yes, I want to be your mate. Yes, I want to lead the pack together with you. Yes, I want to cuddle with Isaac on the couch while his body goes though the transition. Yes, I want to be there for whoever we might add to the pack. Yes, Derek. Yes to everything."

Unable to speak Derek just buried his nose in his neck and let his mate hold him.

When they finally lay in bed, both in their sleepwear and with no intention of doing anything but sleep, Derek drew his mate close and took in his scent. He was still too wired to sleep, his thoughts running in circles over the events of the day, but he was content.

It had been a long day for Stiles as well so Derek wasn't surprised when his breathing evened out only minutes later. Derek lay there until dawn, just listening to his mate's heart-beat.

Distantly he heard Isaac as well but he still couldn't really comprehend that this was his pack now. He was the alpha.

In the silence of the night he vowed to himself that he would be a better alpha than Peter. More like Laura or maybe his mom. It wouldn't be easy and he knew that he would never be an alpha like his mother had been but he was confident that he could do better than Peter.

If he didn't pimp out Isaac, he should be good.

Derek drifted off to sleep when the sun was already up.


	64. Chapter 64

Derek only slept for an hour or two, haunted by bad dreams he couldn't really remember when he woke up. Just the lingering feeling of panic and the taste of ash and blood in the back of his throat. It felt like the old nightmare he'd gotten used to after the fire. Just with a new layer of pain and guilt.

Listening to his own racing heart Derek just lay on his back and waited for his mind to sort out what was just a dream and what was real.

Peter was dead. That was real.

Derek had killed him. That was real.

He was the alpha now. That was real.

"Morning." Stiles' voice startled him out of his thoughts. "Didn't sleep well?"

Derek huffed and didn't answer that one, not that Stiles really expected an answer.

Stiles put a hand on his naked chest, right over Derek's rapidly beating heart.

"I love you." Stiles said in a low voice. "That hasn't changed. I loved you as a beta, I love you as an alpha. I love you."

Derek closed his eyes but he couldn't escape what his ears were telling him. Over his own heart-beat he heard Stiles', strong and steady it supported his words.

"I killed him." His throat tightened and he blinked against the tears.

Stiles didn't tell him that he didn't have a choice, that it had been self-defense. He didn't say that he was sorry or any other phrases Derek had heard way too often.

Stiles just snuggled closer until he could rest his head on Derek's shoulder, his hand still right over his heart.

They got out of bed only because of Isaac. Derek heard him in the living room, talking on the phone, but he knew that with this mess the head of security had a job to do and that he couldn't to it over the phone alone.

Derek made a point of scenting his beta and rubbing his scent all over him before he let him out of he penthouse.

"Call me or come to me whenever you need it." He reminded him and then the doors of the elevator closed.

"He's doing good." Stiles observed. He had watched the whole scene without saying a word. Displaying werewolf behavior in front of a human like this felt strange, but on the other hand this was Stiles, his mate. He was pack. Derek just wondered if Stiles knew that.

"We'll see on the full moon." Derek said and slung his arm around his mate's waist. The first full moon was the hardest but that was still over a week ahead, no need to worry about that now.

Derek stayed in the penthouse all day. He didn't feel like facing the world and it was probably for the best to stay out of sight for a while.

Stiles, however, did have to face the world. His phone didn't stop ringing. Everybody wanted a statement or an interview, PR was checking in with him constantly and the Executive Board along with everybody else wanted to know what the hell was going on.

Derek's phone didn't stop ringing either but he only answered if it was Stiles or Isaac. Both popped in over the day whenever they had a spare minute, even Boyd checked on him once, but most of the time Derek was alone with his thoughts.

He did make the mistake and turned on the TV but he turned it off rather quickly when he saw a montage of himself. He didn't want to know what kind of dirt they had dug up about him.

But Derek couldn't turn off the thoughts running circles in his head. Peter's body was still in the morgue but at some point Derek would have to decide where to bury him. With the rest of the family? Cremate him and scatter his ashes out in the desert?

And there was a lot of paperwork involved, he knew that from sad experience. Boyd had offered to take some of that off his back and Derek had taken the offer gladly, but there was still so much to think about. At least it kept his mind busy.

However, there was something else he should think about but didn't really dare to just yet.

Derek didn't know if he could stay in Vegas. He doubted that Stiles had thought that far when he'd declared his undying love to him.

Vegas belonged to Kali and her pack. There were three, with Peter gone two, other packs living in Vegas but they were tolerated at best. Derek doubted that Kali would tolerate him in her city.

The Red Riding Hood had been Stiles' mother's he wouldn't just leave it behind. So if Derek had to leave Vegas, would Stiles follow? Where would they even go? Derek had no family left and no big pack to just claim a territory for himself. He would have to make due with somewhere nobody else wanted.

Stiles was back with him for dinner. Derek hadn't been hungry all day and he would have skipped dinner if it hadn't been for Stiles who used his dom voice to get him to sit down and eat. More out of reflex than anything else Derek obeyed.

He didn't really taste what he was putting into his mouth but his mind was on something else anyway. Stiles' tone had reminded him of something.

Stiles had told him countless times over the day that he still loved him and that he still wanted to be with him but he hadn't elaborated if that included the playroom. Before Stiles had liked it, even encouraged it, when Derek lost control over his shift. But he'd been a beta back then. Now he was an alpha. Now losing control could be dangerous. He could hurt Stiles.

"What's on your mind?" Stiles asked, studying him.

"I was thinking …" He didn't even know how to put it in words. And why was he even thinking about his sex life now while there was so much other stuff to think about? His eyes flickered to the door of the playroom.

Stiles followed his gaze and understanding dawned on his face.

"I still want that." He said.

"I could hurt you."

"You won't. You'd never hurt me." He sounded sure, as if he was absolutely sure that it was the truth. "And just so you know, I still expect you to call me alpha."

"Really?" For the first time in what felt like forever something warm stirred in his stomach.

"You don't stop having a daddy kink when you become a daddy yourself." Stiles shrugged. "Why should it be different with an alpha kink? Besides." He leaned over and lowered his voice to a whisper. "Having an alpha on his knees, submitting to me? Calling me alpha? That's hot as fuck."

Derek ducked his head but he felt the blood rushing south. It was the dirtiest thing he could think of and a part of him just wanted to drag Stiles over to the playroom. Not necessarily for sex but to get out of his own head for a little while.

But they didn't have time for that. During dinner Stiles had muted his phone but that only gave him a little breather. Derek felt a bit guilty for letting him handle this alone, he was his personal assistant after all, it was his job to take care of most of this. But Stiles had made it very clear that Derek stayed out of this. Probably for the better. He could hardly give statements himself.

Derek had turned his own phone to vibrating so the constant ringing didn't get on his nerves too much but he didn't dare to turn it off completely in case Isaac needed him.

They had just finished dinner and were sitting there for just a moment longer before Stiles had to leave again, when Derek's phone rang. With a sigh he checked the caller ID but hurried to answer it once he realized it was Isaac calling him.

"You okay?" He said without a greeting. "What happened?"

"I'm fine." The eye-roll was audible over the phone. "Kali's here, she wants to see you."

Derek bit back a curse. He had known that this would happen but he'd hoped that he would have a little more time.

"Has she seen you?" Derek asked, already heading towards the elevator.

"No." Isaac answered and Derek breathed easier. Isaac was still not used to his new nature, everything could happen if he had to face another alpha. "The foyer called me. I told them that they should let her stay and that I'll call you. Which I'm doing now. Shall we kick her out?"

"No, I'm coming downstairs. Stay away from her." With that he ended the call and he would have been in the elevator by now if it hadn't been for Stiles standing in his way.

"Kali?" Stiles asked.

"She's in the foyer, she wants to see me." _And kick me out of Vegas_ , but he left that part unsaid.

"You're not going to face her in sweatpants and the t-shirt you've slept in." Stiles said firmly and was already steering him towards his bedroom.

As if it made a difference what he was wearing. But then he remembered all the reporters and who knew who else was probably in the foyer. For a second he was pondering if he should let her up into the penthouse, at least there would be no witnesses up here but this was his home. The closest thing to a den he had. The combined scent of Stiles and him had settled into the suite and he didn't want to contaminate that with the scent of another alpha.

His bedroom smelled strongly of Isaac and that combined with Stiles firm presence at his side helped to calm him down.

"Brush your teeth and comb your hair." Stiles told him. "I'll find you something to wear."

For some stupid reason Derek's hands were too unsteady to button up his shirt himself so Stiles did it for him. He left the last one open and didn't bother with a tie much to Derek's relief. He already felt as if he was suffocating.

"She's not going to make you leave." Stiles said firmly while he straightened the labels of Derek's jacket.

"I doubt she'll just let me stay." Derek told him.

"With all the stuff Peter said she's going to have other things on her mind than to bother with you." Stiles tried to reassure him.

"I am the reason she has other stuff on her mind." He thought about Harris. He didn't know what the guy had done to get on her bad side but now he was dead. At least in the foyer with other people around she had to play civil.

"With what's coming down on them, it's very possible that her days are over." Stiles sounded way more confident than Derek felt but he nodded along.

"Ready?" Stiles asked and put his own jacket on.

Derek opened his mouth to tell him to stay back, that he better faced her alone, but one look at the determination written all over Stiles' face and Derek closed his mouth without saying a word.

They rode the elevator down in silence.

Kali was waiting for them in the foyer. She was sitting in one of the leather chairs, sipping champagne, as if she didn't have a care in the world. She was flanked by the same two werewolves as last time, silent shadows behind her.

There were people around but they kept their distance, leaving a wide circle around her free. The ones who lingered around, eyeing the alpha in their middle with morbid fascination, were the ones who knew what this was about. And they were waiting for the show to start.

When Derek entered the foyer the crowd made room for him as well and for a short second he wondered if they expected bloodshed. As if Derek knew what to expect but he doubted that this would end bloody. At least not in front of all these people.

But then he ignored the humans, his focus solely on the alpha waiting for him.

Kali let Derek come closer before she acknowledged his presence. It felt like he was approaching a queen and Derek forced himself to look her straight in the eye. He was an alpha now, they were equal.

"Derek." She greeted him with a fake smile. Gracefully she stood, her bodyguards moving smoothly into position with her.

"Kali." Derek came to a halt as well with Stiles standing right next to him.


	65. Chapter 65

"We should talk somewhere more private." Derek suggested.

Kali studied him for a long moment, her expression unreadable.

"Should I say sorry for your loss?" Looked like she wanted an audience for this. "Or should I congratulate you to your new status?"

"What do you want?"

"I'm the alpha of Las Vegas." She said loud enough for everybody to hear.

Derek could almost hear Stiles rolling his eyes but he kept his gaze trained on the alpha in front of him. He wouldn't show weakness by looking away.

"But I'm known to be generous." She continued, only partly talking to Derek. "I let other packs stay in my territory. Small but stable packs with alphas who have lived here for years, who have family here. I don't want them to leave their family, their home. I'm not that kind of alpha."

After her little speech her attention was on Derek again. "But you, Derek. You have nothing of that. You took the alpha power by force, you don't have a pack or a family. You don't even have a place you can call yours." She narrowed her eyes on him. "You're unstable, a danger to humans and werewolves alike. I'm sorry but I can't let you stay in this city."

"I have a beta." Was all Derek could come up with to make his case. But he knew how weak that argument was. Isaac was a freshly bitten werewolf, he too was unstable and he also had no family or anything really keeping him in Vegas.

"You already bit someone?" Kali raised an eyebrow at him and Derek just knew that he'd just handed her another argument against him. But before she could say more to that Stiles cut in.

"He asked for the bite and Derek made sure that he knew what he was getting into. So Derek has a pack." Stiles stated. It sounded as if he was counting something but before Derek could think about that too much, Stiles had his hand under the collar of his shirt, pulling at the string around Derek's neck.

"See this?" Stiles held up the ring for everybody to see. "That's an engagement ring. As in we're engaged. I'm Derek's fiance, mate, whatever you want to call it. If that's not enough, this is Vegas, we can be married within an hour. So yes, Derek has family." He dropped the ring which landed on top of Derek's shirt. Not that there was a point in hiding it any longer.

There was an audible gasp from the growing crowd and Derek was pretty sure that there was more than one camera pointed at him.

Kali just glared at them but before she could say something to the new development, Stiles was talking again.

"Derek, give me a dollar." Stiles poked him in the side where he kept his wallet.

"What?"

"Just give me a dollar." Stiles insisted and Derek got his wallet out just to not make a scene in front of everybody.

Stiles snatched the dollar out of his hand with a broad grin and then they were shaking hands.

"Congratulation, Mr Hale." He said formally. "You're now the owner of forty-nine percent of the Red Riding Hood. My personal assistant will contact you shortly with the final contract."

The following silence was deafening.

Derek just gaped at Stiles.

"You're not serious." Kali was the first to speak. "You're not selling half of your casino for a dollar."

"Forty-nine percent to be exact." Stiles corrected her with a grin.

Jennifer had tried to take over the Red since forever now and Stiles just gave away half of it on a whim. Derek could see the anger bubbling up in Kali's expression and the red was bleeding into her eyes.

Of course Stiles just ignored the enraged alpha right in front of him. Like Kali's before his next words were meant more for their audience than Kali.

"So we have established that Derek has a pack, a family and he owns property here in Las Vegas." Stiles' voice rose with every word. "And since you're such a generous alpha you would never kick out a small stable pack, right?" He threw her own words back at her. "Besides, I doubt that you'll be ruling Vegas for much longer. And now, leave my establishment."

With that he turned on his heel, shouldering Derek seemingly by accident but with that forcing him to turn with him as well. Derek didn't like turning his back on another alpha, he really didn't, but now he had no other choice than to follow Stiles' lead or he would look stupid in front of all these people.

There was another moment of stunned silence but then the crowd erupted in cheers.

"You aren't serious with selling forty-nine percent for a dollar, are you?" Derek asked when they were back in the safety of the elevator.

"I absolutely am." Stiles squinted at him. "Besides, Kali would have known if I was lying. And so would you."

If he was honest Derek had been too shocked to listen to Stiles' heart-beat.

"It was your mother's." Derek reminded him softly. That had been the reason Stiles had put up with Jennifer and Ennis and everybody else trying to get him to sell the Red. That and the fact that Stiles wanted to prove that he wasn't the clueless child everybody seemed to think he was.

"It was." Stiles nodded. "And I want to share it with you."

Derek didn't know what to say to that so he just stared at the numbers straight ahead until they turned into PH.

They weren't even out of the elevator when Stiles' phone rang.

"Isaac." Stiles answered the phone.

"You two are engaged?" Derek didn't even have to strain his ears to hear Isaac at the other end.

"You're in the control room?" Stiles guessed without answering the question.

"Of course I am." Came Isaac's irritated answer. "And I had a fucking squad ready to taser that bitch out of the building. But looks like you had it under control." He tried to sound grumpy but it was clear in his voice how delighted he was. And relieved. His future had been on the line as well. If Derek had to leave Vegas Isaac had no other choice than to come with him. He was still too new, he needed his alpha.

Stiles and Isaac stayed on the phone for a little while longer, discussing security matters. Julia and David, the two werewolves from Kali's pack who usually worked the floor, would get laid off until farther notice and Kali's whole pack, including Ennis, was banned from the Red.

Derek had never interacted much with Julia and David but naturally they had come across each other frequently and he had to say of the people he knew from Kali's pack, they were the ones he actually liked. And they needed werewolves on the floor but Derek and Isaac would have to do for now.

Derek tuned out the conversation and just sat on the couch, staring into nothingness. Everything still felt unreal. With all the witnesses, some had been recording everything with their phone, it was only a matter of time until everybody knew about their engagement and that apparently Derek was now the co-owner of the Red.

Stiles made a few more calls, giving instructions, but then he turned the phone to silent and put it face down on the table.

"Let's call it a night." He said and sat down next to Derek on the couch. For a moment they just sat there in silence but Stiles never dealt well with silence.

"Are you okay?" Stiles asked, repeating his question from the night before.

"I'm getting there." Which was a step up from the broken _no_ from yesterday.

Stiles inched closer until he could put his arm over Derek's shoulders. Gently he drew him close and Derek went with it willingly, resting his head on Stiles' shoulder. Stiles' fingers found their way into his hair and Derek closed his eyes with a sigh.

"You know what's funny?" Stiles broke the silence once again.

"Hm?"

"Everybody, including you, is warning me about you."

Derek perked up at that but Stiles just kept playing with his hair while he continued.

"New alpha, the circumstances you got that status. No pack, no family." Stiles listed all the things Kali had mentioned. They had been on Derek's mind as well. "Everybody expect you to be unstable and dangerous. I had hunters calling me, offering their help." His disgust was clear in the last word.

"And what's funny about that?" Derek asked. He didn't want to dwell too much over the fact that hunters had basically offered to kill him.

"The funny part." Stiles drew it out as if he was building up to the best punch line in existence. "Is that you're the most stable alpha I know."

"I …" Derek started to argue but Stiles cut him off.

"C'mon, dude. You didn't become power high, you didn't go on a killing spree. I bet the urge to build a pack was strong and still you made sure that Isaac knew what he was getting into and you would have accepted a no."

"He told you that?" Derek ducked his head. Everything Stiles said was true but the last thing he felt was stable.

"He was worried that I'd think you forced the bite on him." Stiles shrugged. "Point is, you didn't. You're pretty much the same as you were as a beta. Except that now your eyes glow red. Which I yet have to see. Which just proves my point."

Derek thought about that for a moment.

"Do you want to see?"

"Only if you want to show me."

Derek sat up straighter so that he could face Stiles who met his eyes openly and without fear.

Derek closed his eyes for a second and when he opened them again, they were red. Stiles didn't flinch, didn't move at all, and suddenly Derek felt bold. Keeping a close eye on Stiles' reaction, he shifted. He felt the very structure of his skull rearrange itself like it had never before. He would have to check in the mirror later but he was pretty sure that his features were more animalistic now than they had been in his beta form.

"You're beautiful." Stiles breathed out and then he reached over to cup his face. Derek leaned into the touch and then hesitantly reached out with a clawed hand to return the gesture.

Stiles rubbed his cheek against the palm of his hand, not in the slightest worried about the deadly claws right on his skin, and then with a wicked grin Stiles leaned in and kissed him right on the fangs.

"And now you look like a very confused Beast." Stiles broke the moment with a laugh.

Derek blinked at him which probably just deepened that impression.

"That makes you Belle?" Derek asked through too many teeth. Right now his mouth was not meant for talking so he let his features melt back into a more human shape.

"I've been called worse." Stiles just shrugged. He was about to say more but was interrupted by the elevator.

Since there was a strict order in place to not let anybody up to the penthouse Derek expected Isaac to step out of the car. It wasn't Issac approaching them.

"First." Lydia said, her heels clicking on the floor like she was marching to battle. "Stop ignoring Scott's calls. He's a very worried puppy right now."

"Lyds." Stiles was out of his seat and half-way across the room to meet her in an instant. He hugged her and she didn't hesitate to hug him back fiercely.

"How are you?" She asked gently into Stiles' chest and for a second Derek felt like an intruder for listening in to them.

"We're good."

They stood there for a moment longer before they parted and only then she acknowledged Derek's presence with a graceful nod.

"I have to say, well played. Both of you, well played." She looked from Derek to Stiles and then back to Derek. "Looks like you are ready to play in this league."

Derek wasn't sure if that was a compliment or a threat.

"We hardly did anything." Stiles tried to play it down but the proud grin on his face betrayed him.

"You played and outsmarted two alphas." Lydia corrected. "They arrested Ennis an hour ago and the police is searching the Alpha Pack."

"About time. Hope they get Jennifer and Kali as well." Stiles nodded grimly. "But you're not here just to update us on the news."

"Of course not." She flipped her hair over her shoulder and sat down in a chair. Out of her purse she got a notepad and a pen. "I'm here to talk to you about your suits for your wedding."


	66. Chapter 66

The next three weeks were such a hectic blur, Derek and Stiles didn't even manage to keep their Wednesdays.

Stiles had been serious with selling almost half of his casino for a dollar so they had to forge a contract to go along with it. And while they were at it, they made sure that Derek was able to do things Stiles couldn't. Firing people from the Executive Board for example. Which wasn't as easy as Derek had hoped and he spent endless hours with their legal department to figure out the details. In the end they found a way to relieve the whole Board and the new one would need the combined approval of Stiles and Derek.

Since Ennis got arrested he was out anyway and seeing the wind changing a few of the remaining members left on their own account. Others stayed, hoping for the best but it was only a matter of time until they would have to go as well. Derek had seen how they had treated Stiles, no way was even one of them staying.

Meanwhile Stiles went on a firing spree, weeding out every spy Jennifer had among their staff. One or two just didn't show up for their shift, sparing them the trouble of firing them in person. But they had to replace those people so Boyd was working overtime, interviewing candidates and coordinating the training for the people he wanted to give a try.

And Isaac didn't let Boyd hire anybody without a thorough background check.

Since Peter had just marched into the Red with the intention to harm Stiles, and he had almost managed to kill Derek, Isaac went over their whole security system once again. He got Danny and Erica to test their system until even Danny had to admit that they were as safe as they would ever get.

In the end the staff was complaining over the training and drills Isaac put them through to Derek but since there was still the possibility that there was a price on Stiles' head, he had little sympathy with them.

At least for Isaac's first full moon they had to get out of the Red and Derek took him out into the desert. They spent the whole night out there, running and playfully fighting until they were both exhausted but happy.

On top of all that Isaac had to be on the floor as much as possible to compensate for the werewolves from Kali's pack. Derek was there as well whenever he could but it was far from enough to monitor the werewolf tables.

So when one day seven werewolves, led by two familiar faces, politely asked for a place in Derek's pack, Derek didn't say _no_ right away. But he didn't just say _yes_ either. He didn't know these people. Even Julia and David who he'd been working with quite frequently were basically strangers to him.

But he was willing to get to know them before he made a decision. So he gave them rooms in the Red, the only place he actually could call his territory, and he put Julia and David back to work. He had a fight with Isaac over that but in the end Isaac agreed to let them stay but he would keep an eye on them. Derek hadn't expected anything less.

Derek wasn't the only alpha who suddenly had wolves at his doorstep, asking for a place in the pack. Kali's pack was scattering. Some had left Vegas completely, most were looking for other options. There were only a few still loyal to their alpha.

Ennis had been the first to get arrested but after the Alpha Pack had been searched Kali and Jennifer had been arrested as well. Jennifer had been released on bail, but Kali and Ennis had to stay in custody.

The rumors went wild on this one.

Ennis and Kali were charged for murder and couldn't get a release on bail.

They didn't have enough money for their bail.

All their accounts were frozen.

Jennifer had broken up with Kali and left her to rot.

With every day the rumors became more absurd and the media coverage did nothing to calm them down. Actually they were the worst with their speculations.

Derek didn't really listen to all that, he knew a thing or two about rumors, but he was glad that the focus had shifted from him to what was happening with the Alpha Pack.

It was clear that Kali's days as the alpha of Vegas were over so Derek invited the other two alphas to discuss their options. They met on neutral ground, each with only one pack member as backup, and they had a civil conversation.

Due to the wolves from Kali's pack looking for other alphas all their packs were growing in number but nobody was strong enough to take over Kali's place. Not that one of them had ambitions in that direction. The impression Derek got from the other two alphas was that they just wanted to continue living in peace.

For some reason they both treated Derek like a leader, like he knew what he was doing here, and when he suggested that they should just split Vegas in three, they agreed easily.

Derek left the meeting with a third of Vegas to his name, at least from a werewolf point of view, and a non-aggression pact they all had shook hands on.

"That went better than expected." Isaac said when they were on their way back to the Red. "You think they mean it?"

"Let's hope." This had been the first time he'd met the other alphas but he had the feeling that they honestly just wanted peace.

And then there was the wedding. Derek had thought that Lydia had been a little pushy, bothering them just hours after they had made their engagement public, but as she told him, the suits wouldn't make themselves over night. She already had it all in mind, Stiles in red of course and Derek in black and a dark green, and she wanted to make sure that the flowers matched their colors and from there it was only a little step to let her handle the rest as well. Not that Stiles or Derek had the time for the planning anyway.

Everybody was asking about the date for the wedding and Stiles and Derek had agreed to get it over with as soon as possible. Derek had never thought that he would think of his own wedding as something he just wanted to check off his list but here he was.

Stiles only had his dad, Derek had no family left and he would have been fine with just a small wedding with his pack and friends. But they were the owners of a casino in Vegas, their wedding was be a social event. Eighty percent of the people they had to invite Derek didn't even know.

He was close to just stuff Stiles in the car and drive to one of the little churches to get wed by Elvis.

But at least they could wear their rings openly now, Derek never got sick of that. And by now Stiles was wearing a matching one as well.

In all that chaos Scott had visited for almost a week. Stiles was happy to see him and they spent as much time together as possible which wasn't a lot. Scott tried to be the voice of reason, asking Stiles if he'd thought this through and telling him that he shouldn't rush it but in the end Stiles told him in clear terms that he was sure and if Scott couldn't support his decision, he could just leave. Scott stayed and things got better with him after that.

On Tuesday night, more exactly Wednesday morning, after a long day Derek dropped into bed with Stiles with the very comforting thought that they wouldn't have to get up early the next day. They had the whole Wednesday for themselves once again and Derek had instructed Isaac to rip everybody apart who even tried to interrupt them.

Derek's ears were still buzzing from hours on the floor and he was still too wired to go directly to sleep. Same for Stiles who after long minutes of trying to find a comfortable position just gave up. He dropped to his back with a huff.

"We need a vacation." Stiles told him.

"We have tomorrow off, that has to be enough." Derek reminded him.

"We'll have to make it count, then." Stiles decided. "Anything particular you want to do?"

Derek thought about it for a moment.

"Remember when I asked you for a rough session?" He asked quietly.

"Yeah?" Stiles turned to his side to face him but Derek doubted that he was able to see his face in the dark.

"I think I need that." He admitted. The last few weeks had been intense with little to no time to come down. They didn't have time for sex at all and most days they were just too tired to do anything else than to drop dead into bed. It reminded Derek of his days with three jobs. He barely had a second to breathe.

That Derek was an alpha now with no chance to release some of his energy, except for that one night in the desert with Isaac, didn't help either.

Stiles reached over to cup his face and Derek closed his eyes and just leaned into the touch. Stiles understood, Stiles would give him what he needed.

"I can give you that." Stiles echoed his thoughts and something in Derek already uncoiled at that promise.

With that off his chest, Derek let exhaustion take over and he drifted off to sleep with Stiles hand still gently caressing his neck.

He woke up from a slap to the face. A hard one.

Instinct took over and he startled awake fully shifted. With his fangs bared he tried to come up to a sitting position but there was a firm hand on his forehead, holding him down.

He was about to lash at whoever was looming over him with his claws when a sharp "Stop!" made him freeze. His hands fell to his sides and instead of ripping through flesh, he dug them into the sheets.

Stiles. Stiles was the one holding him down.

He had one hand on Derek's forehead, keeping his head pressed into the pillow, and now his other hand closed around his jaw. He didn't even seem to care that his fingers were not even an inch from Derek's snapping fangs.

Derek knew that it was Stiles, that he was in no danger, but waking up like this and with all the tension that had built up in him for weeks now, Derek couldn't let go. He growled and shook his head, fighting Stiles' hold on him.

"Stop!" Stiles repeated and his fingers dug painfully into his jaw and forehead. Derek huffed out a few more growls but he did stop fighting. Instead he glared up at Stiles and he could see the reflection of red in the eyes staring right back at him. Derek swallowed thickly and he felt his face shift under Stiles' hands. If he could have moved his head, he would have bared his throat. Like this he could only avert his eyes.

"There you go." Stiles said but didn't let go of him. "Look at your wrist."

Derek didn't need to look at his arm to know what he would find there but Stiles had given him an order so he looked. There was a cuff around his wrist, of course there was, but it wasn't the one he usually wore. It was one from the mountain ash set.

"This is what we're going to do today." The hand from his forehead slipped into his hair, forcing his head into an awkward angle. "You're mine today. If I want to fuck you, I will fuck you. If I want to tan your hide, I will tan your hide. If I want to take you apart, I will take you apart. You're mine. I own you. I'll do whatever the fuck I want with you and you'll thank me for it. Understood?"

"Yes, Alpha." Derek answered. He felt his dick stir in his pants but somehow he doubted that he would be allowed to come any time soon. If at all.

"Color?" Stiles looked down at him with dark eyes and it was clear in his expression how much he was into this but Derek knew without a doubt that if his answer was anything but green, Stiles would stop immediately.

"Green, Alpha." He said.

Stiles dove in and attacked his mouth with a hungry kiss and Derek had the feeling that he'd just sealed some kind of deal.


	67. Chapter 67

Stiles told him to take a shower and to get nice and clean for him and Derek hurried to do just that. When he stepped out of the shower, Stiles was already waiting for him with a big towel.

"Hold still." Stiles ordered and then he dried him off with sharp movements. It was almost clinical.

Then he worked the wolfsbane oil into Derek's still damp skin. Derek hadn't expected anything else. The lotion was good for small areas and short play, the oil would last the whole day.

Methodically Stiles worked the oil into his skin, saving his private areas for last. An oily finger slipped between his cheeks, rubbing up and down, before Stiles focused on the wrinkled skin around his hole. Derek spread his legs to give him better access.

Stiles' other hand came around to coat his rapidly filling cock and balls with the oil as well. He took his time, stroking him to full hardness while he slipped the tip of a finger past his rim, until Derek had to bite back a groan. He wanted to fuck into Stiles' hands but he knew better and forced himself to stand as still as possible.

"That should do." Stiles let go of him and turned to the sink to wash his hands, leaving Derek standing in the middle of the room with a raging hard-on.

Derek followed Stiles out into the living room where their breakfast was waiting for them. First thing he noticed was that his pillow wasn't there.

A fluffy pillow didn't fit the tone of their scene, Derek guessed, and sank to his knees in his usual spot. At least there was a rug under the table so he wasn't kneeling on the bare floor.

The second thing he noticed was that his place wasn't laid out.

"Did you do anything to earn breakfast?" Stiles had followed his gaze.

"No, Alpha." Derek lowered his eyes. Like most of the time when they were working the floor until late into the night, they had had a little midnight snack so he wasn't that hungry. He would survive without breakfast.

"Alpha?"

"Yes?" Stiles had his plate loaded with pancakes and was currently drowning them in syrup.

"Will I get a chance to earn lunch?" Stiles never had the intention to give him a chance with breakfast, Derek got that, so he didn't even bother asking about it.

Stiles paused and studied him for a long moment.

"Very good." He finally said. "You learn fast. And to answer your question, yes, you will get a chance to earn lunch."

"Thank you, Alpha."

Breakfast went by in silence. While Stiles ate and drank his coffee, Derek just tried to ignore the growing discomfort in his knees. Usually he had no problems with kneeling for longer periods of time but the rug was nowhere near as comfortable as his pillow.

Once Stiles was finished with breakfast, he pushed back his chair and spread his legs.

Derek was glad that he had his eyes downcast so Stiles couldn't see him rolling his eyes. This was so cliche, it was almost laughable.

Derek knew how Stiles liked his blowjobs so he made sure to use his beard as well, rubbing his face all over his length and he didn't forget to give the balls some attention as well, and he had Stiles moaning and thrusting into his mouth in no time. Then Stiles took over.

Fisting his hair with both hands, he started to fuck Derek's face and when he finally came deep in Derek's throat, Derek was struggling for air with his nose buried in Stiles' pubic hair.

Stiles held him in place for a long moment, his cock pulsing on Derek's tongue until come and saliva were dripping from his chin.

When Stiles finally let go off him, Derek collapsed against his leg. Spitting and coughing he just focused on breathing.

"That was a very nice start." Stiles said and his hand found its way back to Derek's hair. Gently this time Stiles gave him a moment to compose himself.

"Wait in the playroom for me." Stiles dismissed him but at the moment Derek was just glad that he could get off his knees. In the playroom, out of sight, he shook his legs and moved around a bit, before he got in position in the middle of the room. At least the playroom had a nice thick carpet so kneeling wasn't that bad.

Derek heard the room service come and go but Stiles didn't join him once they had left.

Stiles hadn't laid out anything so Derek had no clue what he'd planned for the day and with every minute he kept him waiting, anticipation was building up in Derek.

When Stiles finally came into the room, he was freshly showered and he'd changed into tight leather pants and nothing else. His bare feet whispered over the carpet when he came closer and he didn't say a word while he circled around Derek. It felt like a predator circling his prey and Derek had to clench his fists to prevent himself from lifting his head to keep an eye on him.

Stiles stopped at one of the cabinets and when he came back into view, there were nipple clamps dangling from his fingers. Glover clamps.

Derek swallowed thickly but presented his chest for the clamps. He bit his lips in anticipation of the sharp pain and he knew that was just the beginning. These clamps were built do tighten with the pull, so it was clear what was coming.

"I want you on the cross, back to me." Stiles instructed once the clamps were in place.

Stiles secured him to the structure by his wrists and ankles but he wasn't done with that. Derek caught a glance at the rope Stiles was tying around his balls and he had to bend his knees a little to not pull too much on his balls when Stiles secured the other end of the rope to something in the floor.

What this was about dawned on Derek when Stiles fed a second rope through the chain of the nipple clamps.

"Hope it's not too uncomfortable." Stiles said when he tied off the rope he'd ran through a hook on the ceiling.

"It's fine. Thank you, Alpha." Derek said and tried to adjust his position. He could bent his knees to release the pull on his balls or he could stand straight to ease off the stretch on his nipples. But not both.

"Good." Stiles gave him a slap on the ass, making him jump. Derek bit back a curse but Stiles only laughed. Stiles moved away from him and a second later Derek heard him getting comfortable on the bed. If he was watching Derek or was doing something else he couldn't tell and after a minute, Derek stopped wondering about Stiles.

At first it wasn't too bad. He endured one pain for as long as he could stand it and then changed position to switch the stretch from his balls to his nipples and vice versa. It worked. For a little while.

The spread eagle position the cross was forcing him into didn't help and soon his legs started to shake. It became harder and harder to find, and hold, a position that didn't torture his nipples and balls.

"Please, Alpha." He finally broke. His whole body was covered in a thin layer of sweat and he was panting.

Stiles didn't even answer.

Derek didn't know how long he'd been standing here but his balls and nipples were on fire now, the wolfsbane oil adding an extra layer of discomfort.

"Please, Stiles. Alpha." The words fell out of his mouth between little sobs of pain. "Please, I can't. It's too much, please."

"I think you're warmed up enough." Stiles suddenly said right behind him. He placed a kiss on the knotted muscles between Derek's shoulder blades and Derek cried in relief. Sure Stiles would release him any second now.

Something whispered over Derek's back. The tendrils of a flogger.

"About your lunch." Stiles said. "I'm going to flog you now. You take it like this and you'll get your full lunch. I can free your balls or nipples but that will cost you half your lunch. Or I can take off both and you'll go hungry." The tendrils almost tickled over his back and the swell off his butt, indication where they would bite into his skin in a moment.

"What will it be?" Stiles playfully tugged at the chain, forcing him upwards. Derek bit back a cry. But he forced himself to think about his situation. Even like this it was impossible to keep the pain on a bearable level. There was a constant throb in his groin now and his chest was on fire. No way could he stand a flogging like this.

"My balls." He made a decision. "Take it off. Please, Alpha."

A second later the rope fell off his balls and Derek stretched his legs in relief. He knew that the release on his nipples was short lived but he enjoyed the breather for as long as it lasted.

"Ready?" Stiles asked.

"Green." Derek answered and steeled himself for the flogging.

Stiles started easy, warming him up thoroughly, but then the strokes started to overlap and Stiles put more force behind the blows.

Derek lost every sense of time. The blows were raining down on him and he was reduced to a writhing mess, struggling against his bonds. Fully shifted he howled out his pain but he couldn't escape.

He'd ripped one clamp right off his nipple, the other one still biting into his flesh with ever twitch of his body. But that was only a distant sensation. By now he was hanging from the cross, the cuffs around his wrists the only thing holding him upright.

And Stiles kept going. The blows came down on Derek in an even rhythm and there was the faint tang of blood in the air. If it came from broken skin or from biting his own lip Derek didn't know. He was too far gone to even care.

Then, finally, it stopped.

He didn't even notice at first but Stiles had stopped. Half conscious Derek was hanging in his bonds, distantly waiting for the next blow which never came.

"Beautiful." Stiles said in awe and then there were fingertips on Derek's back, feather-light but cutting like knives into his abused skin. "You have no idea how pretty you are like this."

Derek barely twitched when there was suddenly something cool between his cheeks. Stiles didn't waste much time with prepping him and then he was fucking him hard and fast.

Stiles' grip on his hips and every touch to his abused skin lit up the pain throbbing deep in Derek's flesh and he just sobbed in relief, when Stiles let his spent cock slip out of him.

"You did good." Stiles kissed the nape of his neck. "So good."

When Stiles released his hands Derek would have crashed to the floor if it hadn't been for strong hands holding him.

"Lay down on your front." Stiles instructed but he had to help him to stretch out on the bed without hurting his backside even more. "You earned yourself a break."

Stiles let him rest until lunch and then he fed him half a sandwich in bed.

Later Derek earned his dinner tied backwards to the spanking bench, a position his abused back didn't like at all, with Stiles' cock down his throat. While Stiles was fucking into his mouth he was snapping his front, with focus on his nipples, with a riding crop and Derek just tried to not bite his dick off by accident.

By the time they went to bed that day, Derek's whole body ached and throbbed, the wolfsbane oil preventing him from healing, and he wasn't sure if he cared about unimportant things like an orgasm at this point. He just wanted to lay down in a position that didn't hurt too much and go to sleep but Stiles had none of that.

He forced an orgasm out of Derek with his mouth on his cock and his fingers deep in Derek's ass. Derek howled out his release, his whole body screaming in pain with every torturous wave of his orgasm.

He fell asleep while Stiles was working the soothing lotion into his skin, constantly telling him how good he'd been.

When Derek woke up in the morning, there was still a dull throb in his back but it felt good. He felt good, relaxed and seated. All the tension had just melted out of his body.

"How do you feel?" Stiles was already awake, watching him.

"Good." He said but the word got caught in his dry throat.

Stiles offered him some water and then they both lay back, neither of them ready to get up just yet.

For a while they lay there in silence and Derek knew that Stiles was watching him closely.

"It was good." He felt the need to say. "Really good. Thank you, that was exactly what I needed."

Stiles studied him and for a moment Derek was sure that he would analyze every minute of their scene. But then he settled back with his head on Derek's shoulder.

"I heard that the Alpha Pack is for sale." He said out of the blue but Derek was glad for the change of topic. "We should put in an offer. How do you feel about owning fifty-one percent of a casino?"

Derek didn't even know what to say to that but Stiles didn't wait for an answer.

"We have to rename it of course." He said, already picturing it in his head.

"What would you name it?" Derek dared to ask, dreading the answer.

"Big Bad Wolf." Came Stiles' prompt answer.

"No."

"C'mon, the Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf, it has to be done."

* * *

 **A/N** _That's all, folks. A big thank you to everybody who went on this crazy ride with me. You're awesome._


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